A Zero and a Hero
by ArmoredCoreNineBall
Summary: Invited to a competition in Academy City, Eight members of Class 1-A enter the capital of the science world to experience all it's wonder. But in the background, a dark plan is brooding as a magician plans to revive his dead master to start a war, and Kamijou Touma and Midoriya Izuku are caught right in-between it all.
1. Academy City

**Hello once more you beautiful people!**

 **Some may be calling for a sequel to Forgotten, but nothing is final about that. IN-between my absence from this sight i have gone off and collected ideas for various things, and this little fic is one of them. So I figured "Hey! I have an idea, some of my friends liked it, so why not!?" It keeps me writing and practicing, so it can only lead to some good stuff, right?**

 **For those not caught up on the My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia manga, or the A Certain Magical Index/Toaru Majutsu no Index light novels, spoilers are inbound. Significantly more for for the first, but they exist for both.**

 **I Hope you enjoy this little idea I had! ^^**

* * *

80% of the population has a Quirk, while 20% of the population doesn't, and as such, is powerless.

While that 20% figure is accurate, saying that 80% of the population has a Quirk is somewhat less so.

What outsiders perceive to be Quirks could be something else, for example.

Like Magic. Magicians, sorcerers, warlocks, witches, the whole nine yards. It has existed long before quirks, and as such, is much more explored, versatile. But reclusive by nature, leads the things of spells and summons regarded as a myth. Even in Days like today, the Cabals of Magic, Churches of God and Sorcery, leave a secret life, operating in the shadows except under extensive circumstances.

Though to say that the appearance of quirks into the normalcy of life has made their existence harder would be false. To have their magic written off as a Quirk, though annoying and sometimes insulting, has given the forces of magic much more breathing room. Areas to act they never did before. In a world where everyone has superpowers, even Magic can be seen as common in the eyes of the populace.

Another force, however, is much newer, debuting even after Quirks, but took a stance before their dominance in the market.

An Esper is a being of psionic capabilities. To conjure changes in the world around them with just the power of their incredible mind. Like Quirks, some are born with it, though this is very rare. Others have to develop their psionic abilities naturally through knowledge…. Or unnaturally with various chemicals, drugs, and compounds. Often, both are required; one's mind is difficult to fully control, and splashing in supernatural capabilities make such a task even harder.

But this leads to devastating results. Ranked 1 through 5, the higher the number, the more powerful an Esper. A Level 0 is ability-less, most of the time, though exceptions do exist. The more one goes through the scientific power development curriculum, the more powerful their Esper Ability becomes. The more the learn, the better they can control it. The more they use it, the more they master it. Even if provided purely through the chemicals, it takes years of hard work and dedication to become a truly powerful Esper.

There's even a Esper who started as a level 1, and through hard work and dedication, rose all the way to be the third ranked level 5, one of seven, Espers with abilities in scale comparable to a Nuclear Bomb.

Taking these facts into account, if one were to say that 80% of the world has some kind of supernatural power, while 20% does not, it would be a much more accurate statement. Under normal circumstances however, the three forces of Quirks, Magic, and ESP, rarely meet. Magic is often shrugged off as a Quirk by even ESP users, and Magic rarely has dealings with either of these other two forces, and ESP can be mistaken for a Quirk; some even believe they are one and the same.

But, like all things, one who knows enough can bend the rules. Fate can be shifted. And those who would otherwise never meet are suddenly granted an audience with each other. The unthinkable becomes the norm.

Powers that should never meet suddenly clash violently.

That is what we will be observing here.

The very rare instance where three forces who never meet will all be located in one place.

 **-U. A High, Class 1-A-**

"I wonder where Aizawa is… he's usually not this late." A boy, about 15 years old, with green eyes and black curly hair with green highlights spoke, almost absent mindedly. His name was Midoriya Izuku.

"Quit your bitching, Deku. Just means we waste less time cooped up in this fucking place." Another boy around the same age, with ash blond, spiky hair and red eyes replied harshly, sitting with one leg prompted up at his desk. His name was Bakugou Katsuki

"You should keep in mind that we are here for a reason, Bakugou! All class work, even if tedious, has a purpose!" Another male spoke up, sitting at attention at his desk. He has black hair and wears rectangular half-rim glasses, and blue eyes. His name was Iida Tenya.

"C-Calm Iida, you know he is going to do stuff like that no matter what…" Izuku quickly interjected.

"With all due respect Midoriya, I must at least attempt to instruct him!" Tenya replied.

"You should listen to him. Your wasting your breath." Katsuki gruffly responded.

"…Doesn't mean that you shouldn't listen to him though, Kacchan." Izuku said quietly.

"What was that!? You wanna fuckin explode or something!?" Katsuki lashed out harshly, small explosions triggering in his palm. Izuku shivered and recoiled into his chair at the sight of them.

"C-can't you two get along, just this once? If Aizawa walks in and catches you…" A girl spoke up. She had shoulder-length brown hair and big round brown eyes, and a noticeable, seemingly permeant blush on her face. Her name was Uraraka Ochako.

"How about you mind your fucking business, eh!?" Katsuki quickly shouted.

"How about you stop screaming in my class." An oddly quiet voice from the door way.

Despite its absence of volume, the voices demand silenced the once rowdy classroom. The voice belonged to a tall man with shoulder-length black hair, with some hanging down in front of his face, a half-shaven beard, and a small mustache. This man was Aizawa Shouta, and he is not only the teacher of Class 1-A, but the Pro Hero, Eraserhead.

"Sorry, something somewhat important thing came up…" Aizawa said simply, stepping into the room, carrying some papers, which he promptly placed on the podium. "As I'm sure you remember, All Might has recently retired due to his own injuries, and as such, it is imperative we get heroes prepared and ready to protect the people in All Might's absence, sometimes things come up that can't be avoided… even if you want nothing to do with it."

"Excuse me, but what exactly are you saying, Aizawa-sensei?" Tenya raised his hand quickly as he made his statement.

"What I'm saying is, though I'm sure you all wish to resume training your abilities, something has come up. And it's hard to ignore…" Aizawa stopped for a moment, waiting for any other outbursts. When he was only met with silence, he continued. "Tell me, how many of you are aware of what an Esper is?"

"An… Esper?" Izuku questioned.

"Yeah, they are fairly rare around here, so I'm not surprised." Aizawa replied. "A Hero uses a Quirk; an ability granted through a mutation. An Esper's ability is, however, granted through the mind manifesting something not of this world. That's the easiest way to describe it. I'm telling you this because of a rare opportunity that has presented itself for those of you interested."

"Blah blah blah! Get to the point!" Katsuki shouted.

"Point is that the center point of not only ESP, but scientific advancement as a whole, Academy City, has delivered us a promotional offer." Aizawa held up the papers he had brought in with him. "Sign-up Sheets. For those wanting to show off their abilities to the world, or simply wishes to see the other side of the spectrum of abilities, or even just an excuse to travel to the most advanced city in the world, your wishes are granted for… about eight of you."

"…Academy City…" Izuku thought out-loud. "People who are born there don't get Quirks, right? And they still don't have an explanation?"

"That's right, that's the place. For those who remember the Sports Festival, this will seem somewhat familiar for those who made it to the finals. It will be a 16-man tournament, eight heroes-in-training against Espers of varying degrees of strength. Single elimination, by forfeit, ring-out, or technical knockout. But… for those of you who don't want in, there is no punishment. It is completely optional. Those who don't wish to join or can't, you will remain here and go through classes like normal. So, if you would rather stay here and hone your skills, you are more than welcome… but those who participate can win… something." Aizawa set the forms down on his podium again. "They didn't really tell me the prize list, so it's a mystery, but only the winning side of the tournament is rewarded."

"When will this take place, exactly?" Ochako asked.

"About a month from now… if I remember correctly." Aizawa took out a small notebook and started flipping through it. "Yeah, a month from now, over the course of three days. First day is the first elimination round, day two is the second, and day three is the Semi-Finals and the Final round... if there needs to be one. The moment all the participants from one faction are eliminated, the other is automatically declared the winner."

"So… if we aren't careful... we could all get whipped out in the first round…" Izuku mused.

"As if, I'll just blow them all to pieces!" Katsuki clenched a fist with a grin, in obvious excitement.

"How are we deciding who goes in, Aizawa-Sensei!?" Tenya shouted, once again raising his hand.

"First come, first serve. You guys are in the first Class, so you guys have first dibs. If there are openings after, it goes to Class 1-B, and so on until all positions are filled." Aizawa popped his neck. "That's all the information I can give to everyone. If you want to know more, you got to sign up. If you're interested, stay behind. Otherwise, Homeroom is dismissed early for you… and you all better make it to your next class or else."

After the subtle threat was left, slowly the room started to empty. Tenya looked around the room quickly; watching for who was staying and who was leaving; it was obvious that he was going to participate, and was eyeing his possible allies.

Katsuki crossed his arms, waiting for everyone to leave. His patience was short; he wanted an excuse to show how powerful he was. And showing up some hot-shots form another city sounded like a good idea.

Ochako stood up to leave, but paused when looking at Izuku. Somehow she could tell just by looking at him; he was going to participate. She stood for a moment, thinking with a worried and corned look, before suddenly sitting back down, almost fast enough to fall out of her seat. She didn't want to abandon her first friend in U.A. high after all.

As mentioned, Izuku stayed. The reminder that All Might had retired because of his fight with All for One burned in his mind like a fire. He felt like that he had to show the world, that even without All Might, the world is still safe; That there are still powerful heroes who will stand up to protect them. That alone was a solid drive for him; show what the heroes of tomorrow will be able to do.

Besides them, four others stayed.

Todoroki Shouto, a boy with short, bicolored hair; the right side is white, the left side is red. There is a burn over his left eye, and his eyes are also different colors; his left eye is green but his right eye is black. It would appear to those watching him that he decided to stay behind and participate because both Izuku and Katsuki did, perhaps to attempt to assist them both.

Tokoyami Fumikage, a relatively short male with a crow-shaped head, red eyes, red neck, and human teeth. Always willing to take on tasks to better himself, a tournament to push his limits and understand where he needs to develop sounds ideal.

Kirishima Eijirou, another boy had spiky red hair and a little scar above his right eye, and red eyes. Something of a rival to Katsuki, if he was saying, so was Eijirou. He had to admit though; the prize had his eye, just simply to know what it was; it was more curiosity than anything else.

And finally, Yaoyorozu Momo, a young woman with a mature physique for her age, while also being one of the taller ones of the class. Her hair is black with bangs to the right that is tied back in a large, spiky ponytail. Always wanting to prove herself to others, an event like this is a good way to stand out and show what she can do, or so she thought.

Aizawa looked around the room quickly, just to make sure no one else was backing out.

"Alright, one final thing before we move on, you are free to use your Hero suits if you desire to. Just don't go around destroying anything." He passed out the sign-up forms around the room quickly before returning to the front of the class. "Exactly eight, no need to elimination games then. Guess that's lucky for you all."

"…So… any idea who we will be going against…?" Shouto suddenly asked, not taking his eyes from the form in front of him as he quickly filled it out.

"We will be going over what I'm permitted to share with you once you're finished." Aizawa replied. "Though I can say that their eight positions are also filled too, although they chose a different method of selection."

"Cut the shit, you know we aren't gonna back out! Stop padding this shit out!" Katsuki shouted, throwing his form forward in front of him, crudely filled out in a hurry.

"…If you want to look into the depths of hell so quickly, then fine." Aizawa pressed a button on the podium and a monitor of some kind slowly dropped from the ceiling. I'll go over them in order. I can't tell you what their ability does so... use your imagination." Aizawa pulled a remote out from the podium and stepped to the side, letting everyone see the screen. "One final lesson; Espers are rated based on the power of their ability, as well as how well they can control it, and are ranged from level 0 to level 5. Level 0's are the lowest, and often don't have abilities they can manifest… though exceptions exist… and a level 5… is comparable to a high-powered nuclear device in terms of potential."

"A-a nuclear bomb!?" Izuku stuttered out.

"It's too late to back out now; it's time to bite the bullet." Aizawa pressed a button on the remote.

A face appeared in the monitor; a still image. It displayed a male roughly 16 years of age, with white hair, red-eyes, and very pale skin; appearing very much likes an albino.

"Name is unknown. He is simply referred to by his ability name, which is Accelerator. He is the top ranked level 5."

The screen switched, now showing a girl, roughly 14 years old. She had brown hair and brown eyes, and was making a rather irritated expression.

"Name: Misaka Mikoto. Ability: Railgun. Third ranked level 5."

It changed once more, now showing a girl looking roughly 15, at least based purely on appearances. She had long blond hair and golden eyes, but with a star-like design right in the center, and had a very cheery smile.

"Name: Shokuhou Misaki. Ability: Mental Out. Fifth ranked level 5."

The shifts were becoming predictable now. It displayed a male about the same age as Accelerator. He had black hair and black eyes, a white headband, and a noticeable grin that practically oozed confidence.

"Name: Sogiita Gunha. Ability: Attack Crash or, if you prefer, Telekinetic Cannonball. Seventh and last ranked level 5."

"…Four out of the eight and we're already dealing with four nuclear bombs… huh…" Izuku suddenly appeared very nervous.

"It must be in order of strongest to weakest… judging from that description, there are only seven level 5 Espers, but only four are participating. Even if their selection process was different, it must be similar enough so that when the ones at the top refused, it went down to the lower rankings…" Tenya mused.

"Am I the only one worried about this!?" Izuku explained.

"Shut it! Trying to listen to him explain this shit!" Katsuki shouted.

"…I have never once thought I would ever hear you utter those words, Kacchan."

"What was that!?" Katsuki banged his hand on his desk in rage.

"Both of you. Stop. You both still have classes after this." Aizawa's words quickly silenced the duo. When it was quiet again, he resumed the slideshow.

It now displayed a girl about a year younger than Mikoto. She had tawny-colored hair tied into two pig-tails with brown eyes, seeming someone serious with her expression.

"Name: Shirai Kuroko. Ability: Teleport. Level 4." Aizawa's brow furrowed and he sighed. "And now we start in with the three who probably got tricked into entering…"

It now showed a 16 year old male, which would be the same apparent age for the final three. He had blonde hair and sunglasses, hiding his eyes, and a gold chain around his neck.

"Name: Tsuchimikado Motoharu. Ability is Auto-Rebirth, but currently ranks as a level 0."

"A level 0 entered…?" Ochako looked puzzled.

Next was a boy with short blue hair, and pierced ears. Not much else could be told because his eyes were closed, but he appeared to be smiling.

"Name: Aogami Peirce. His ability is called The World, but his level, is unknown."

"How could they not tell his level… that is very strange. They know his ability but not how strong it is?" Momo spoke up for the first time, speaking everyone's mind about the oddity.

"It sounds like they are with-holding some information after all, at least to me." Fumikage also joined the conversation after a long silence.

The screen changed a final time. It displayed a male with spikey black hair and black eyes. His expression looked distraught, like he had just been through a horrible circumstance.

"Name: Kamijou Touma. Ability is called Imagine Breaker, and is also a level 0." Aizawa pressed a button and the screen vanished into the ceiling.

"For a competition they seemingly want to win, why would they let their lowest and least capable participate…?" Tenya questioned openly.

"Level 0 or not, that ability sound kick-ass just by the name! Imagine Breaker! I wonder what it does!" Eijirou sounded excited. "That Attack Crash guy sounded tough too! I'm getting pumped up!"

"That's basically it. You all have about a month before we set-out for Academy City. I suggest you put your best foot forward… it will be the first time Espers have clashed with Heroes officially." Slowly everyone handed in their forms, and Aizawa outright forced Katsuki to pick up his and hand it in, before leaving the room. "Class dismissed."

"Espers huh…" Izuku pondered as he stood up. "I wonder… how One for All will stack up against them…?"

 **-1 Month later, Academy City Airport-**

"O-oh wow! Look at it all!" Izuku stared in amazement just by looking out the front glass doors that would exit the airport.

"This place hasn't changed a bit at all huh? Last time I was here I was healthy." A voice sounded from behind him. He was an overly-skinny man with angular features, long limbs and neck, wearing over-sized clothes, and also spiky, disheveled blond hair with two bangs framing the sides of his face. This was Toshinori Yagi, otherwise known as All Might, the former holder of One for All who passed it to Izuku.

"A-All Might!? I thought all the teachers were staying back?" Izuku was both excited and confused. Similar reactions were shared by the rest of the group, save for Katsuki.

"Well that's easy… Vacation Hours!" All Might replied. "A little time off never hurt anybody! Hard part was finding a matching flight…" All Might scratched his chin. "Besides… seeing my students through on their first clash with unknown forces; what kind of teacher would I be if skipped out on that?!"

"B-Being watched over and supported by All Might…" Ochako said in a pleasant tone. "I feel like there's no way we can lose now!"

"Question; who is taking your place back at class?" Tenya promptly asked.

"I believe… Mt. Lady volunteered." All Might responded.

"…I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not…" Shouto said.

"Should you even be flying, All Might?" Aizawa commented from behind.

"…Technically no, but-" All Might was caught off guard with Aizawa smacked him upside the head. "Ow!"

"Your health is in danger of giving out on you, be more careful." Aizawa stepped forward. "Alright, I sent the location of our living arrangements to your phones, don't lose them or you'll get lost. Curfew here is around 8:00 PM; make it back to the Hotel before then. Otherwise, do whatever you want, everything starts up officially tomorrow."

"In that case, I'll-" All Might, getting ready to move, was suddenly stopped by having his ear pulled by Aizawa.

"You're coming with me. We need to have a talk about your heath." Aizawa said, slowly dragging All Might away as he protested against it. Shortly after, either in desire to explore Academy City or head to their Hotel, the group scattered, leaving behind Izuku, Tenya, and Ochako.

"Well… this will be our one free day before the competition… I kind of want to explore, but I have no idea where to start…" Izuka spoke.

"I figured as much." Tenya said, pushing up his glasses. "That why I have prepared this!" Quickly he produced a map from his pocket and unfolded it. Not only did it cover the entire city, but on the back were detailed information about the various locations open to tourists. "I also have a more detailed version on my phone, should we need it!"

"That's amazing, Iida!" Ochako commented.

"Yeah! Hey, do you guys want to travel around together? Exploring just what makes this city kick sounds like a fun idea!" Izuku asked in excitement.

"I was going to ask." Tenya replied. "As much fun as it is to explore new surroundings, it's always better to do so with friends, right?"

"Of Course! Uraraka, Iida, let's go!" Izuku shouted as he burst forward.

"W-Wait for me Deku!" Ochako replied, running after him.

"H-Hey! I'm the one with the map, shouldn't we be following me!?" Tenya shouted as he joined the case. A chase that would lead them all around the commercial areas of Academy City.

 **-Several hours later, 7:23 PM-**

Just as their adventure in the city of science had started with a race, so it shall end. A race against time.

"I told you we spent too much time at that arcade!" Tenya shouted as the group of three ran.

"S-sorry! Places like that arcade are super-rare! And they had so much stuff, I got addicted!"

"Same here! I got really into that dancing game!" Ochako added. After a short time they paused to catch their breath.

"Too bad Iida can't just carry us… his Engine could get us back in a snap…" Izuku breathed out with a huff as his lungs struggled to catch back up.

"If I was better at using Zero Gravity for longer periods of time, that could of worked…" Ochako replied as she slid down a wall she was leaning against, slumping into a sitting position. "We had such a good dinner, I'd hate to get sick and throw it all up…"

"We… we should be fine, if we can take some of the alleyways, we should have enough time…" Tenya replied, checking the map. "We're close to one we can take to make it back fast."

The group walked forwards a ways, locating the alleyway they needed with ease. The moment they stepped inside however, a very dark area of foreboding air blanketed the group. The alleyway seemed normal otherwise; lots of interconnecting and shifting paths, but the way they needed to take was a straight shot.

"Deku… I'm scared…" Ochako muttered, moving closer to Izuku, whose response was to blush.

"This air… it's radically different from before… something bad happened here…" Tenya said.

"Y-yeah… I'm starting to have second thoughts but… if we don't take this way we'll be late… right?" Izuku shook off his blush from before.

"Unless you want to give hoping from building to building a try… but the local authorities would frown upon that…" Tenya replied. Before they could continue their discussion, another figure burst from one of the interconnecting pathways.

He was tall and lanky. He wore a long black and red robe covered in feathers, and carried a golden staff with wing-like designs from top to bottom, the tip shaped like a bird's head. He appeared to be in his mid-30's, with long dark brown hair, and bright red eyes. He looks behind him for a time then turned toward the group, only stopping when he looked forward at them, his face shifting to disgruntled anger.

"Shit…! More of them!?" The man spoke, leaning on his staff.

"A… Villain?" Izuku questioned.

"No… not now… now when I'm close to escaping…!" The man backed up a bit, and presented his left hand. "Flame-born mother, hear my plea. Burn these wretches with your infinite Millennial Wings!" It sounded like a chant of some kind.

"H-Hey! Wait!" Izuku tried in vain to stop what happened next.

"Go forth! **Millennial Gusto!** " The man threw his left hand forward, unleashing a massive blast of bright golden fire forward. It was large enough to fill the alleyway and was racing toward them.

"It's moving too fast…!" Izuku shouted. Tenya's engine would let him be able to escape, but even with One for All, he wouldn't be able to save himself and Ochako without breaking his legs by using 100%.

Before any of the three could react, however, a teenager with spikey black hair moved in front of them from one of the intersections. The male threw his right hand outward and the flames slammed into it. However, instead of engulfing the teenager, the flames scattered in several different directions, and then the sound of shattering glass was heard; and the flames shattered and vanished; it was like the fire was never there to begin with.

"No… not you again…!" The man down the alleyway shouted.

"Who… who are you…?" Izuku stuttered out slowly. The male slowly turned around.

"Hey… are you alright?" He asked the group. It was him; the last one from the slideshow of their opponents for the competition.

In a list of strongest to weakest, he was dead last.

Kamijou Touma.


	2. Day One

**Alright, second chapter is here.**

 **I hope you like it, reviews are welcome! Enjoy!**

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A few seconds felt like an Eternity.

On one hand, Izuku wanted to thank the teenager who had just stepped in to save him and his friends.

On the other, he was in awe upon seeing such a powerful attack dismissed with absolute ease.

'That… that was really cool how he just slipped in like that…!' Izuku thought to himself.

'Crap… more people are getting involved…! And it's three of those guys in that stupid competition Tsuchimikado got me thrown into too!?' Touma mentally panicked. 'Such Misfortune!'

"You are such a fool." The man who threw the golden flames clanged his staff against the cement walls. "If you had let my attack pass, you could have snuck on me and dispatched me quite easily… your heroic bravado is why you can't stand a chance against me!" He beat the walls with his staff again.

"You make it sound like ignoring someone is trouble is easy to do." Touma replied. "I can't turn away someone who needs help."

"And that is why you will fall before me… you save foolish souls who would be worth so much more in MY possession! You stand before recreation of the world!" The man shouted with violent conviction. "You let the corruption of this world torment and destroy it! Stand aside and let me burn it away!"

"A goal that forces innocent people to give up their lives against their will isn't something I can stand behind."

"Silence! They need not to consent; it is for the greater good! You stand in the way of Gregory Augustine!" He aimed his staff forward. "May you find solace in the afterlife, a destination you will be sent to by the Millennial Phoenix's flames!" The eyes on the staff started to shine, something was coming.

'…I can't just stand here…!' Izuku thought to himself, as he suddenly sped forward with great speed, his entire body glowing. **"One for All Full Cowl!"** Izuku suddenly appeared below Gregory's body and kicked him in the stomach, sending him skyward.

'Holy crap… he's fast!' Touma thought to himself.

"You little..!" Gregory could only hold his stomach as he ascended into the air.

"Iida!" Izuku shouted.

"Right!" Tenya took a bracing stance as engine pipes popped out of the back of his calves. With a sudden quick burst of speed, Tenya outright ran across the wall up to where he predicted Gregory would be.

" **Millennial Burst!"** Gregory held out his hand downward and an explosion triggered, launching him further into the air, then aimed behind him and used the same attack, propelling him at an angle. With his staff aimed like a spear, his body rushed forward, aiming right for Ochako.

Ochako's brow furrowed. Despite the sudden attack, she was able to smoothly shift to the side to dodge, and not only that was able to grab one of Gregory's arms and throw him to the ground with a spin, landing on his stomach. She then quickly pressured his back with one knee and restrained one of his arms behind his back.

"Don't move." She pressured the restrained arm, the threat was subtle; don't move or I'll snap your arm.

"…I'm starting to think that you guys didn't need my help after all…" Touma mused out-loud.

"It's fine. You were after him anyway, were you not?" Tenya replied, pushing up his glasses.

"Y-yeah, I guess so… though not for me…" Touma rubbed the back of his head.

"Assisting a hero who was after this villain?" Tenya asked. Touma blinked.

'That's right…' Touma thought. 'These guys are supposed to be heroes in training, right? It'll probably be best if they just think this guy is just a villain a hero was after… yeah that'll work! It's best they don't get to heavy into the world of magic.'

"Yeah!" Touma said. "This guy jumped me when I was on my way home, when the hero who was chasing him saw me destroy his attack, he asked me for my help!" Touma lied.

"Hrm… this person must have been giving him or her trouble to ask for an Esper to help… but it seems this Gregory Augustine wasn't prepared for multiple opponents…" Tenya concluded.

"Yeah! Uraraka, that was amazing! Your combat training must have been really amazing to take him down like that!" Izuku cheered.

"Y-You really think so?" Ochako turned around, blushing red with a smile, but that quickly faded when she saw something behind the group. "Everyone, get down!" she shouted as she dive-bombed towards the group.

The group of three hit the ground just in time; a large scythe, with a strong brown stalk with skull-like designs and a thick black blade, tore the wind asunder as it soared over the group, just narrowly avoiding everyone, before flying back toward its origin point, being caught in the air by someone hanging off one of the walls.

"Hey hey hey! Greg, you letting yourself get caught!? That isn't part of the plan!" The person held onto part of the roof of the building with one hand, and caught the scythe with the other. He wore blue jeans and an open black coat with a purple shirt; his entire outfit appearing damaged and torn. He had bright red eyes and messy teal hair. His grin was wide; his teeth appeared to be sharp. In an instant, and without a sound, he was gone however. He suddenly appeared in front of Gregory, his scythe leaning over his shoulder with the blade aimed backwards.

"A Teleporter… huh..." Touma said simply.

"For the one-thousandth time, my name is Gregory…!" He slowly got to his feet.

"Right right… So! Since we've agreed that you getting caught by a bunch of little shits isn't a good idea… what exactly is the plan? Can I cut them!?" The teal-haired male turned back toward Gregory, his grin still wide.

"…If you are here Prometheus… then Pandora must have it, yes?" Gregory questioned.

"And no-one was left to tell it was us…!" The male who was addressed as Prometheus responded.

"…Then it is time to retreat. We cannot waste time." Gregory stood tall.

"Well shit… I guess we're off then." Prometheus grabbed ahold of Gregory with his free hand.

"Hey, wait!" Izuku ran forward. "Who are you!? What did you take!? And why are you doing this!?"

"Questions questions questions! Why do this? Why do that? Why did I get up this morning? Why did I have sausage instead of bacon… why did I carve out their hearts instead of their eyes…? Let's just make it easier on both of us and say it's cause I fucking feel like it!?" Prometheus' grin somehow widened even more.

"Why you…!" Izuku bust forward running with One for All Full Cowl active.

"Don't worry! You'll see the show soon… then we can get much more acquainted!" In the blink of an eye, Prometheus and Gregory Augustine were gone. Silently. Izuku almost didn't notice they had vanished at first, and he grinded to a halt.

"Damn it…!" Izuku cursed.

"Stiyl is not going to be happy…" Touma sighed.

"Stiyl? Is that the name of the Hero you were helping?" Tenya questioned.

"…Yeah." Touma pulled out his cell-phone. "I'll have to call him and tell him it's a bust… If that guy is with a teleporter, they could be half-way across the city by now…"

"Teleporter?" Ochako questioned.

"An Esper ability, lets the user… well… teleport things from objects all the way to multiple people… including themselves. Though it's weird… teleports usually make a sound when the trigger, that guy's was completely silent…" Touma clicked away on his cell. "Ah crap… no phone service… you've got to be kidding me!? Such Misfortune…!"

"The fire must of altered some of the surrounding materials… some of the metals might be absorbing the waveforms that cellphones operate on." Tenya examined some of the metal objects in the area, finding most of them melted. "It could also be related to his unusual golden fire. If that person has been doing this all over section of the city, who knows how many other dead-zones there are."

"He could have just said screw it and knocked over a cell tower too… we were chasing him all over the city… I'll have to call Stiyl when I get home…" Touma sighed, putting his phone away.

"Where do you live?" Tenya questioned further.

"District Seven…" Touma replied.

"And we're in… District… Three…" Tenya commented.

"I know."

"That's across the city…"

"Yup…"

"…You're going to walk there?"

"Busses don't operate at night…" Touma sighed.

"I wish we could help… we're about to hit the curfew soon ourselves… will you be alright?"

"Yeah… seems like me being stuck out here in the middle of the night is becoming the norm… my room-mate is going to kill me…" Touma lamented. Slowly Izuku approached the group.

"…Hey, do you think those two will be back?" He questioned. Touma shrugged.

"No idea… I hope not. With that competition tomorrow there will already be enough chaos around town. I don't need a couple of psychos making it worse…"

"That's true… a lot of people will be around starting tomorrow…" Izuku trailed off. His eyes glanced over at Touma's right arm, the same one he had used to block Gregory's first attack.

Despite coming into contact with fierce flames like that, it was completely unharmed. Not even the slightest trace of a burn.

"You blocked that first attack with your right arm… how did you do that?" Izuku asked, curious. Stopping the fire he bought, but being completely unmarked by them was more than a little hard to believe.

"Oh that? It's just my right arm." Touma simply stated. "Had this weird power in it for as long as I can remember… if it touches something supernatural, something that shouldn't exist basically, it will completely negate it."

"Does… that works on Esper abilities?" Izuku questioned further.

"Yeah… it's kind of how I've been surviving around town… a certain someone keeps trying to electrocute me…"

"That's terrible…" Ochako replied.

"It's fine… she means well, it's just that if she gets riled up… she… can take down power for about twelve blocks… heh…" Touma rubbed the back of his head.

"She must be really powerful…" Izuku pondered what a person with that kind of damage potential could look like.

"Uraraka! Midoriya! Bad news, we only have about seven minutes left to get back!" Tenya shouted.

"Uwah! S-Sorry! We have to go!" Ochako sounded just as concerned.

"Y-yeah! We got to go! We will see each other tomorrow! Bye!" Izuku joined the group and they quickly sped off, eager to get back before curfew hits.

"That's right… they are in the competition too… they seemed like good people though." Touma smiled… and shortly after, his smile faded. "…Nice people who you're going to be fighting against and you just told exactly how your special ability works to…" Touma slowly slumped to his knees and fell forward, holding himself up with his arms, and uttered one single phrase.

"Such Misfortune."

 **-Unknown Location, Academy City-**

"So you got shown up bad huh? You may be strong, but four-on-one definitely isn't your style, Greg." Prometheus chuckled.

"Gregory. That is my name. Learn it." Gregory corrected as they walked through the halls of an abandoned building. "You said you both found it, right?"

"Yeah, had some fancy guards though… but you know how that story ends…" Prometheus smirked.

"Pandora has it with her, correct?"

"Yeah. We didn't open it, as you requested."

"Good… I want to be the first to see it with my own eyes." Gregory and Prometheus stepped into a large storage room. Old crates stacked and long discarded. On top of one sat a girl with red eyes and long teal-colored hair, similar to Prometheus but with noticeably darker shades of color. She wore dark blue pants with a blue jacket, and a white shirt underneath, and had white earrings.

"Welcome Gregory. Brother." She greeted the two as they approached her.

"Nice place you found us sis… nice and secluded…" Prometheus kicked one of the crates. "Lots of places to hide an ambush if someone sticks their head where they shouldn't…"

"Pandora, the book, if you please." Gregory asked. Slowly Pandora seemed to levitate off her seat and gently float down to be on equal ground with the other two. She held up her hand and a rift formed; she reached inside and pulled out a black tome; gruesomely designed, and handed to Gregory.

"Necronomicon. Book of the Dead. I hope it lives up to your expectations; they fought with their lives to protect it." Pandora stated.

"Yes… yes it will do perfectly… this tome can hold the souls we require for the Fire-Borne Ritual…" Gregory grinned. "Master Japhet… Oh how long has it been? You gave your life for mine and soon I shall pay that debt by returning your sacrifice…!"

"So… that book revives the dead, huh?" Prometheus questioned.

"Oh it can do so much more… the ritual requires souls to work, and in addition to holding the souls we need… it can also call forth souls of the tormented and regretful dead! Vengeful spirits that reluctantly walk this earth! And once enough are contained… the Fire-Borne Ritual shall commence and Master Japhet will walk the world again! Oh… how I've longed for the day I get to see you again, my lord, and it will only be a few more…!"

"And… what happens next?' Prometheus asked.

"Then… we sacrifice this sinful city to summon forth the Millennial Phoenix! We will burn this city… no… this world down to ashes! Then from those ashes, we rebuild it better than before, and reign as kings- no… Gods!" Gregory laughed. Finally; after years of failure, something would succeed. It had to.

"You heard him… Gods… heh" Prometheus smirked. "This guy's out of his mind…"

"Yet we humor him…" Pandora commented.

"If it fails… we take our shares and cut our losses… and if it works… well… Godhood I guess?" Prometheus shrugged. "I really don't care either way."

"Gregory is dedicated. Mad or not, he speaks with true conviction." Pandora stated plainly.

"If he wasn't, this wouldn't be interesting." Prometheus grinned. "I just want to see where this road in the lives of sinners ends…" Soon, these forces would mobilize to collect the souls of both the living and the dead.

To resurrect a man to burn the world.

Japhet, First Descendent of the Millennial Phoenix.

 **-Next Day, District 20-**

"Before we begin, I would like to give thanks to the various schools in the area, go offered their arenas for use in this competition!" An announcer blared over-head. A make-shift sports center has been transformed into an arena, and it was filled to the brim with people in the stands.

"Now, I would like to officially welcome you all to the first joint competition between the U.A. High Hero Academy and Academy City's Power-Development Curriculum! Both aimed at inspiring boys and girls of all ages to follow their dreams, be it heroic action of scientific study, or, who knows, maybe both!?" The announcer spoke again. The Audience seemed to cheer.

"Today will be the first round of the competition! And this time around, it is a direct-battle contest! Before we begin I'd like to recite all of the rules! If you're ready, let's go!" He then read off the following in order:

This is a 16 entry-tournament! The first round will consist of 8 matches of one verses one combat!

Single elimination, so no second chances!

Participants can bring whatever equipment they desire into the battlefield, but they can only combat alone! Any evidence of outside tampering or assistance will result in an instant disqualification!

Killing is explicitly forbidden! Any fatalities as a result of a participant's action will not only disqualify them, but will land themselves into police custody!

Matches shall be randomized and be re-selected each round to keep things fresh and un-predictable! There are four rounds, including the semi-final and the final round!

And finally, elimination will be triggered by technical knock-out, willful surrender, or by exiting the circular ring. If an entire faction's participants are eliminated, the remaining faction is automatically the winner and the competition is over!

"Everyone got that!? If so, let's move on to introducing our contestants!" The crowd cheered. "Now, to be gracious hosts, we will introduce the heroes-in-training first! As your name is called, please step into the ring so everyone can see your wonderful faces!"

"This… is feeling really intense…!" Izuku shivered a bit. Something about this seemed like a real step-up form the sports festival.

"You scared, Deku?" Katsuki mocked.

"No way, it's just a lot to take in… that's all." Izuku replied.

"Remember; we're on a team. We may be separated but we must do our best to support each other." Fumikage warned. Katsuki clicked his teeth in response.

The callings came in, and slowly, one by one, the heroes entered the battle field as they were announced.

Midoriya Izuku. Hero Name: Deku

Izuku stepped out into the open in his hero costume; a dark green full-body unitard with a red belt, elbow pads, knee pads, gloves, and red boots. In addition, the arms have braces and the legs are iron armor soles.

Bakugou Katsuki. Hero Name: King of Explodo-Kills

Katsuki stepped out in his own costume, a fitted black sleeveless V-neck tank top with an orange X with the top half borders his shirt collar, a metallic neck brace, and large grenade-like gauntlets.

"They… let you keep that name…?" Izuku gave a suspicious look.

"Shut up!" Katsuki shouted back. The call-outs resumed.

Uraraka Ochako. Hero Name: Uravity

"My turn… yahoo!" She ran out full speed. Her suit consisted of a black and pink skin-tight suit with detached sleeves, knee-high boots, belt, helmet, collar, and thick, round bracers with handles attached to them.

Iida Tenya. Hero Name: Ingenium

Tenya walked out rigidly, almost marching. His outfit consisted of a black one-piece suit with a high collar, over which he wore various pieces of armor, including a helmet, a metal collar around his neck, a breastplate, decorative mufflers, and metal vambraces that extend past his elbows. The costume includes specialized metal boots, extending up past his knees. He walked forward without saying a word.

Todoroki Shouto. Hero Name: Shouto

Shouto walked out calmly, looking around to take in the space they would be competing. His outfit was simple; a dark blue jacket, dark blue pants, a silver-colored combat vest, and white boots.

"Guess this is the talk of the town… huh."

Tokoyami Fumikage. Hero Name: Tsukuyomi

He walked out slowly. Numerous people form the crowd made note of his bird-like appearance, but he paid no attention to them. His outfit was also simple; a dark cape and dark clothes that cover his whole body.

Kirishima Eijirou. Hero Name: Red Riot

He practically ran out in excitement. he wore a vest that consisted of two shoulder pads that are shaped like gears that wrapped around his shoulders while his chest is left uncovered, and wears a skirt with a ripped pattern over pants with a belt with an "R" for a belt buckle, and black baggy pants and boots, and also wore a kind of mask over the lower portion of his face, but exposed his mouth.

"So many people! This is going to be awesome, I know it!"

Yaoyorozu Momo. Hero Name: Creatie

"Honestly… what's with all the excitement? It's just the opening ceremony…"

She walked out with her arms crossed. Her outfit was simple but revealing; simple red, skin-tight outfit that exposes most of the center of her torso, arms and legs, with a large belt.

"And that is our Team of Heroes ladies and gentlemen! Give them a round of applause as we prepare the next set!"

It wasn't long before the call-outs resumed.

The Accelerator, Level 5.

A Male with white hair and red eyes stepped out wearing dark clothing, appearing irritated. He moved slowly, leaning on a walking cane of sorts as he marched toward the ring. Another oddity is that in addition to the cane, he had some kind of electrode attached to a croaker on his neck, with wires seemingly connected to somewhere on his head.

"That shitty brat better enjoy this… fucking hell."

Misaka Mikoto the Railgun, Level 5.

A girl with brown hair and eyes stepped forward, in the official uniform of her school.

"I guess representing Academy City has its downsides, especially with events like this… but why did that idiot have to enter too…!?"

Shokuhou Misaki, the Mental Out, Level 5.

A curvaceous girl with long blond hair, carrying a handbag stepped forward, in the same uniform is Mikoto; her star-like eyes seemed to shine.

"Hehe, it's going to be fun to show off our Esper-power in front of a crowd, right Misaka-san~? Hmm?"

"Shut up, you fake-middle schooler!"

"Aww, looks like someone's jealous again~"

"Why you…!" Mikoto grumbled, and Misaki giggled in response.

Sogita Gunha, the Attack Crash, Level 5.

A teenager with black hair and eyes stepped forward, wearing white headband, white pants, and a shirt that depicted a rising sun in Japanese style. A white coat was draped over his shoulders.

"Alright! Let's have an explosive display of Guts!

Shirai Kuroko, Level 4.

A girl with long pig-tails stepped out, also sharing the same uniform as Mikoto and Misaki.

"I'm only here to protect my onee-sama! You all better stear clear of her, understood!?"

Tsuchimikado Motoharu, level 0.

A male with blond-hair and sunglasses stepped out, wearing shorts, a green Hawaiian shirt, and a gold chain around his neck.

"Nya! Let's have some fun!"

Aogami Peirce, level unknown.

A teenager in black pants and a white over-shirt stepped forward. His hair was blue, ears pierced, and eyes closed.

"Oh wow… so many new girls here! No my arch-types… not even Kami-yan can tame this many, right!?"

And finally…

Kamijou Touma, level 0.

The very same male from the night before, in a seemingly similar outfit, stepped forward last.

"Hey Aogami… what kind of weirdness is coming out of your mouth now?"

"Kami-yan! You know what I'm talking about! Your invincible kami-yan disease of lege-" Aogami was suddenly silenced by a swift smack upside the head. "Ow! Kami-yan!"

"Be quiet will you!?" Touma said in an irritated tone.

"Nya, Aogami. Kami-yan won't accept it no matter how many times you mention it!" Tsuchimikado added to the conversation, irritating Touma more.

"You stop it two! I already have to put up with this in class! And you two are the entire reason that I'm here!" Touma shouted.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Kami-yan." Both Aogami and Tsuchimikado spoke simultaneously.

"Liars! Both of you!" Touma shouted.

"Hah… Kamijou's friends seem... interesting…" Izuku said, watching the scene unfold before him.

"Fucking idiots…" Katsuki huffed out.

"Alright! The opponents officially know who they are squaring off against! Now there is just one thing left to settle…"

And that thing is, quite simply…

"…Who is going to be fight who in the first round!"


	3. Monsters

**Another chapter has arrived**

 **Thanks for your reviews and support! Any/All thoughts and criticisms are welcome! (As long as its constructive)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hrm…" All Might watched in the stands. He sat next to Aizawa, reverently close to the front. He rubbed his chin in thought. "Hey… Aizawa?"

"Hmm? What is it?" Aizawa replied back.

"By chance… do you remember that World War III incident about a year or so ago?" All Might asked, turning toward the man sitting next to him.

"Yeah. As an international force, outside of rescuing civilians if needed, Heroes were barred from picking a side… what about it?"

"I remember that part. What I'm asking about is if you remember that news report? The one that was accusing Academy City officials of sending its young Espers into the combat zone?"

"What about it?"

"Take a look at that Kamijou Touma boy… he looks a lot like the boy in the footage the news outlets used as proof to run the story. A teenager running around in enemy territory." All Might held out his phone with a still-image from the footage. Aizawa looked briefly back and forth, then narrowed his eyes, analyzing.

"Now that you mention it… the resemblance is uncanny. Black eyes, black spiked hair… about 15 to 16 years old… replace his outfit with winter clothing and it'd be a match for sure…"

"…Do you think it could be him?" All Might shifted his view back to the arena floor where the participants were standing. "I managed to look though some reports; apparently that boy went missing a short-time after the war was declared and only re-appeared a few months ago… The war wasn't long, but his disappearance could have been linked if it was indeed him…"

"I… don't know." Aizawa responded. "It's possible, but we don't have all the answers…"

"I'm starting to worry… a boy vanishes at the start of a war, appears in captured footage taking shortly before the wars end, boy is missing for a good chunk of the year… and then pops up again." All Might rubbed his chin again.

"Grasping at straws won't help…" Aizawa sighed. "Midoriya and his friends came across this Kamijou Touma last night, clashing with a villain. It sounded like he saved them all. Why are you worried?"

"…I'm just concerned. It feels like something might be going on here we're not fully informed of."

"You think Academy City is plotting a double-cross?"

"No… I doubt that. Making enemies of Heroes around the world would be a terrible idea… something just doesn't feel right." All Might sighed, rubbing his neck. "I guess I'm just trying to figure out what. The oddities surrounding that boy is just an idea I had."

"Perhaps… it would be best if after the round today we keep the students in the hotel." Aizawa crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.

"It's too bad though… we told them that outside of the competition they have free reign within reason… Academy City rarely lets heroes inside its walls unless it's extreme circumstances. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity they'll be missing out on…"

"…You're not wrong." Aizawa's eyes wandered around the arena. Guards were posted at several locations. Cameras were everywhere. You wouldn't be able to move without someone being able to see you. "I was planning on keeping the incident with the villain to us so we could have another hero look into it, but maybe it would be a smarter move to forward the information to the officials… their police force, Anti-Skill, is supposedly trained to take down super-powered individuals."

"Security is tight… not sure if a villain could break into here."

"A plan then… afterwards, I'll get ahold of someone and call in some favors; I'll feel a lot better about this bad feeling of yours if we get some allies of our own here."

"Sound's good… sorry that I can't directly help…"

"…All Might would be able to take care of all of this, true, but sooner or later the world would have to get used to moving on without you. It was inevitable." Aizawa crossed his legs. "It's time for the next generation to take over."

"Yeah… and the world will get to see just a small piece of what that next generation has to offer." All Might smiled a bit.

 **-Arena Field-**

"Alright, as sure as I am that you'd all like to get started, we have some last minute things we need to take care of! But before that, it is time to decide the eight matches in round one!" The announcer cheerfully announced. All sixteen participants were anxious to a certain existent. The sooner they knew who they were fighting, the sooner they could plan.

The boards around the area appeared with a side-ways bracket. The spaces were blank. Suddenly a variety of names and faces began to randomize in the first bracket; it was randomly selecting the fight.

"So it's about to start, huh…" Izuku commented.

"It's about time." Katsuki said in an irritated tone.

"Hey, knowing Kami-yan's bad luck, think he will get stuck in round one?" Aogami asked.

"Who knows, it's possible, nya!" Tsuchimikado replied.

"Both of you, stop trying to jinx it! I don't want to be here! If Fukiyose didn't threaten me to stay in or else, I'd be at home!" Touma lamented.

The randomizer slowed down and eventually stopped, displaying the picture and name of two people.

"Alright! Match One! It is Tokoyami Fumikage, the Tsukuyomi, versus The Accelerator!" The announcer blared. Tokoyami turned toward Accelerator, eyeing him. He couldn't describe it, but he got a very odd feeling looking at him. Accelerator didn't move; he seemed more bored than anything else.

The next bracket started quickly.

"Match Two! Iida Tenya, who goes by the hero name Ingenium, versus Tsuchimikado Motoharu! A Hero is facing off against a level zero! Can the one of the lowest of the low hang with one of the big boys!? We're about to see!" Tenya glanced over at Tsuchimikado, who responded by waving with a smile.

'He doesn't seem worried at all…' Tenya thought to himself. 'Auto-rebirth… what kind of ability is that… revival from the dead or extreme healing…?' As he thought, the next randomizer began.

"Match Three! Uraraka Ochako, the Uravity versus Shirai Kuroko!" The two in question looked back and forth out of curiosity; but not much of an exchange between the two.

"Match Four! Half-way done! Bakugou Katsuki, the King of Explodo-Kills, versus Kamijou Touma! Another level 0 match! Will it be a stomp, or will we have a devastating upset!?" The Announcer spoke with such enthusiasm the crowd cheered. Katsuki turned toward Touma and slam one fist into an open palm; an explosion triggered. Touma only sighed in response.

"What kind of reaction is that!? You're not scared, right!?" Katsuki shouted.

"Oh no, believe me; I'm shaking. I don't think I can go on…" Touma replied.

"You making fun of me!? Huh!?" Katsuki shouted louder.

"Me? No. Never. I'd never consider such a horrible thing…" Touma replied, earning more anger-induced reactions from Katsuki. Izuku could only chuckle lightly at the situation.

'Ha… Kacchan doesn't know about Touma's right arm… I don't think I could be as relaxed as Kamijou but…' Izuku thought to himself. It gave him a bit of hope seeing a friend he had just made be so relaxed. The randomizer once again started.

"Match Five! Kirishima Eijiro, the Red Riot, versus Sogita Gunha, the Attack Crash! We got some tough sounding titles here folks!" The two glanced at each other, a smirk forming on both of their faces.

"Match Six! Yaoyorozu Momo, going by the simple name Creatie versus Aogami Peirce! An Esper with an ability level that not even Academy City is allowed to report!? How unusual! This bodes to be an interesting match!"

"So I'm fighting you huh? You seem a tad interesting to be wearing such a revealing outfit like that in public! Are you an exhibitionist, perhaps!?" Aogami suddenly appeared behind Momo, causing an unsettling reaction in Momo as she recoiled away from Aogami.

"W-what are you saying!? Exhibitionist!? And when did you get here!?" She replied, a blush of embarrassment thick on her face.

"Come on, you can talk to me! I'm into a bunch of stuff too! Aogami-senpai will- ow ow ow! Kami-yan!" Aogami was literally being dragged away by his ear by Touma.

"I knew it was a bad idea to let you out into public…" Touma said as he walked.

"But Kami-yaaan!" Aogami protested as he was forced to follow. Momo let out a sigh of relief.

"He was so creepy… ugh… I'm dreading my match now…!" Momo lamented. Ochako laughed nervously and patted her on the back to try and comfort her.

"Match Seven! Midoriya Izuku, who simply goes by the hero name of Deku, versus Shokuhou Misaki, the Mental Out! We have second match of a boy fighting a girl, I wonder how this one will turn out!"

Izuku turned to Misaki, and then looked back at the brackets.

'Mental Out… I don't even know if I can fight a girl… more-over… what kind of ability is Mental Out…?' Izuku thought.

'Don't worry, I'll play nice with you with my Esper-power~' a secondary, much for feminine voice sounded in his head.

'Oh… thanks…' Izuku thought back. It took him a moment that the voice he heard wasn't his own thoughts and his head shot up. 'Who said that!?' he thought. He looked back at Misaki, who this time was looking back at him. She was holding some kind of a remote. She promptly blew a kiss at him, causing Izuku to blush. Ochako, who looked in curiosity after noticing Izuku's sudden reaction, shifted from curiosity to apparent frustration upon seeing Misaki act flirtatiously with Izuku, a blush of her own forming on her irritated face.

"Uraraka, are you ok?" Izuku asked when he looked to see her. Ochako's blush intensified and her mood shifted back to normal quite quickly, aside from some shock at being noticed.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine! T-thanks for asking!" Ochako stuttered out, moving back to looking at the screen in front of her, noticing that it had, by process of elimination, chosen the final match.

"Final match of day one, round one! Todoroki Shouto, merely using his name as a hero title, versus Misaka Mikoto, the Railgun! The son of the former Number 2 Hero, now number one, Endeavor, against Academy City's own electric princess!" The crowd cheered. Mikoto and Shouto exchanged glances but other than that, they didn't interact.

"And that is our first round people! We have some background work we need to do, so once we are ready, we will begin! Contestants! There is a waiting-room for you in the north hall, close to the entrance. It even has a nice view of the arena you can watch the matches from, and several monitors of the arena you can use too! You can go ahead and mingle with your competitors while you wait, yeah? We will call you when it is time to begin!"

 **-Shortly After, Waiting Room-**

"I don't like that announcer… he's way too over the top and loud…" Touma said. The room was rather large, a variety of chairs, tables, and couches, refrigerators and freezers, ovens and microwaves, the monitors that displayed parts of the arena as the announcer mentioned. True to his word; several windows showed the battlefield. One might say it's the closest you could get to being on the field without actually participating in a match.

"Yeah… the room is really high class though." Izuku commented. "Looks like they came prepared for a long event!"

"Too bad it's all self-serve, nya. But at least it's free!" Tsuchimikado said, digging through one of the refrigerators.

"…Free food sounds like a dream, now that you mention it…" Touma replied.

"Still complaining about money troubles, huh? Figured even and idiot like you would be able to get a part-time job or something." Mikoto approached them with her arms crossed.

"Ah…? Yelling at me after sending Shirai out for something outside, and using the opportunity to mock me eh?" Touma responded.

"Unlike you, I have plenty of cash lying around to use." Mikoto smirked.

"I would have plenty of money too if a certain biribiri wasn't chasing me all around town so I could get a part-time job. Dealing with you takes a good chunk of time out of my day, you know?" Touma shot back.

"What was that!?" Mikoto shouted, sparks of electricity flying form her bangs.

'S-she must be the one Kamijou was talking about yesterday, huh!?' Izuku thought to himself.

"S-Scary…!" Ochako commented.

"H-hey! You can't go shocking people in here! You'll fry the whole building!" Touma warned.

"He's right Misaka-san~ you can't go blowing up the building with your electric power~ you'll get turned into a monster if you do." Misaki was sitting in one of the chairs near-by.

"I don't need to be lectured by a fake-middle-schooler like you…!" Mikoto turned around, pointing accusingly at Misaki.

"That's an interesting insult you know…" She leaned back, thrusting her impressive bust forward. "I wonder how you could have gotten to such a conclusion~ hehe!" Mikoto's sparks intensified, but suddenly ceased when Touma put his right hand on her head, which started patting her head, causing her to blush.

"There there, don't let her get to you." Touma continued to pat her head, causing Mikoto to fidget in place.

She didn't want to admit that being patted by him actually felt really good.

"You know a lot of people, Kamijou…" Izuku commented.

"I… get around apparently. It's not intentional…" Touma rubbed the back of his head.

"Hey, Mr. Hero." A gruff voice said from behind. Upon turning around, the group that was quickly gaining members recognized Accelerator. "Mind telling me what the fuck you're doing here?" He pointed a finger at Touma, clarifying who he was speaking to.

"I could ask you the same…" Touma shot back, subconsciously rubbing Mikoto's head, causing her to fidget more and her blush to spread.

"Tch… fuckin hero…"

"…You don't want to be here either?"

"…The brat wanted to see me on TV or something like that."

"Ah… I got conned into it by those two." Touma pointed to Tsuchimikado and Aogami, who were now fighting over something they found in the fridge. "And threatened by a classmate to stay in or she'll break my legs…"

"…Unfortunate."

"Trust me I know." Touma sighed. "Such misfortune…"

"It seems like a lot of bad stuff happens to you, Kamijou." Izuku commented.

"Story of my life…" Touma lamented.

"Y-y-you can stop rubbing my head now y-you i-idiot!" Mikoto stuttered out. Touma didn't even realize what he was doing and pulled his hand back.

"S-sorry!" Touma held his hand back as Mikoto walked away.

"Your friends are… interesting." Tenya commented.

"Yup… that's definitely… a word." Touma rubbed his hand. Most of the other contestants seemed to scatter and go about their own business, save for a few.

"I'm gonna go lie down. Don't die." Accelerator said, walking way with hands in his pockets.

"I don't intend to, you know…" Touma replied.

"Kami-yan!" Tsuchimikado shouted, seemingly trying to hold back Aogami. "Aogami's fetish meter is reaching critical mass! I can't contain him for much longer, nyaaaa!"

"C-critical mass!?" Touma shouted back. "H-hold on I'm coming!" He then dove over the couches and tables to tackle the duo, causing them to tumble.

"It looks like Touma's class-life must be just as wild as ours… despite being a more normal school… heh…" Izuku commented.

"I think that Misaka girl has a crush on Kamijou-san!" Ochako added. "She must just react violently to try and hide how she feels!"

"Y-you think so?" Izuku replied.

"It's possible… also, that Accelerator called Kamijou a hero… I wonder why…" Tenya asked out loud.

"Well he was our hero yesterday… he must get stuck in situations like that a lot." Izuku replied.

A click was heard above the room, shortly after; the announcer's voice was heard once more.

"Preparations are complete! Will Fumikage and Accelerator please report to the ring? We are ready to begin!"

"It's time then." Fumikage stood up from his seat and approached he exit.

"Hey! Good luck Fumikage! We're rooting for you!" Izuku called out.

"Do your best!" Ochako joined in. Fumikage turned and smiled, then exited the room.

"Let's get this shit over with…" Accelerator stood up and exited as well, leaning on his walking cane.

"Man… Accelerator looks like he's in fairly rough shape." Izuku commented.

"Don't feel too bad for him... I'd start worrying about your friend." Misaki commented.

"What do you mean?" Tenya questioned.

"He got the number one…" She leaned her head on one arm, reading something, as if bored. "Poor little bird friend won't last very long… it's sad really…"

"What are you talking about…?" Izuku questioned further. Misaki sighed.

"He's fighting against someone who can supposedly do the calculations of God." Misaki responded.

"Calculations… of God…?" Tenya was taken aback. "What does that even mean…?"

"It's better for you to see…" Misaki spoke softly. She directed them to the field as the two opponents would be fighting shortly.

"Someone like that…" Izuku trailed off, looking out the window. "Fumikage… please be careful…!"

 **-Arena Field-**

"Now remember, no killing, no outside help, understand?" The announcer said briefly. Both Accelerator and Fumikage stared each other down.

"…Hey." Accelerator called out.

"…? What is it?" Fumikage answered.

"No hard feelings. I don't want you coming back for revenge." Accelerator responded, cocking on head to the side. Fumikage's eyes narrowed.

'…A comment like that… he has a plan…' He thought, preparing himself. His dark shadow started to gather below him.

"And… begin!" The announcer sounded an alarm, signaling the start of the match.

"Let's go, **Dark Shadow!"** Fumikage leaped forward, splitting off, but his shadow went a different direction. Spawned from Fumikage a creature of shadow raced around the other side. Fumikage was going for a pincer attack from two sides.

"…Interesting." Accelerator commented. He slowly reached up for the electrode on his neck, and Fumikage bounced with his shadow in unison.

'That electrode… if I can…!' he thought as he sped as fast as he could, a fist chambered, he would attempt to strike Accelerator to prevent him from reacting after activating the device.

The device clicked; the electrode switched on a green light. His chance to catch him off guard and foil whatever plot Accelerator had, while he was still focused on making his next move after activating the electrode.

That is what he thought. What he dreamt in his mind. But reality is much crueler than pleasantries of a dream.

Almost as soon as Fumikage got close, he was launched back. His arm was fluttering in the wind limply, and in great amounts of pain.

'What was…!?' The event was so quick; he didn't even notice the pain at first. His hand was broken, seemingly in multiple places, and his arm was dislocated at the shoulder. The force of whatever attack Accelerator unleashed had done it in the fraction of a second. The shadow's attack was deflected at the same time. Fumikage grinded against the ground the best he could to stay in the ring.

"Even Dark Shadow's attack… and my arm…!" Fumikage spoke out loud without realizing it, gripping his dislocated arm. It was like it was just smashed into an oncoming vehicle. Dark Shadow slowly returned to Fumikage, who was breathing heavy, trying to deal with the pain.

"What… did he do…!?" Izuku questioned form within the waiting room.

"Fumikage's attack was completely deflected… forced back even…" Tenya added.

"How… we didn't miss anything, right? Accelerator didn't even move…" Ochako held her hands together.

"I'm going to tell you this now… with an ability like that, you can't beat me." Accelerator stated.

"… **Black Ankh!"** Suddenly the Dark Shadow enveloped his body, covering him like an exoskeleton. "I'm not finished yet…!" Accelerator clicked his teeth in response.

"Fuckin… didn't you hear me!? You're just gonna break your other arm next!" Accelerator shouted.

"Not as long as I can still move…!" Fumikage choked out. The pain was immeasurable. He wondered if this is what Izuku felt each time he used his own Quirk.

"…Vector Change." Accelerator stated. "My ability's classification is Vector Change."

"Vector Change…?" Fumikage questioned.

"Yeah. When you move an object, you exert energy in a direction, both of those together forms a vector, its basics in physics." Accelerator explained. "My ability is to change both the energy and its direction. I can completely reverse it, move it up down, make it stop dead… or launch it back with ten-times the energy. That's what happened to you. And… it's not just limited to forces you make either." Accelerator stomped his foot onto the ground. The ground itself shook as it shattered into pieces. The entire fighting area was pulverized; Fumikage almost fell over from the sudden change in landscape. "Understand now…?"

'…That much power…!' Fumikage regained his balance and stood in place. He closed his eyes, as if in thought. 'I didn't even reach him… and he couldn't have seen from both directions at the same time… he was able to tell and manipulate with his mind…? Just by me getting close…?'

"…But if you want to keep getting knocked around…" Accelerator started to walk forward.

"I surrender." Fumikage called out. Dark Shadow faded from his body as he opened his eyes with a painful expression. "…There is a way past that defense of yours."

"Oh? So confident… then why are you giving up?"

"Because I'm not the one who can find it, and even if I could, I doubt my ability to use it." Fumikage responded. "You are not as invincible as you claim…!"

"Big words." Accelerator answered simply. "Hey, announcer-fucker! Call the match! He surrendered!"

"R-Right…! Accelerator is the winner!" There was a lot of applause and cheering form the crowd. Accelerator merely turned towards the waiting room and started making his way back. He shut-off the electrode on his neck and resumed relying on his cane to walk. Fumikage fell to one knee.

"Fumikage!" Izuku dashed from the waiting room's corridor running full speed. When they crossed paths, Izuku and Accelerator glanced at each other; it felt like time had stopped. Izuku was burning mad, while Accelerator was stoic; as if the event hadn't happened at all. That only fueled the fire in Izuku's stomach more. He pressed on, running passed Accelerator.

"Midoriya…" Fumikage managed to say as Izuku as he got close.

"Hang in there, are you ok!?" He knew the answer, but felt the need to ask.

"It's… not as bad as it looks… just a broken hand and a dislocated arm." Fumikage managed to stand. "…It hurts a lot."

"It's ok, we can get you some help, alright?" Izuku replied.

"Midoriya… be very careful… examine what he did and how he described doing it…" Fumikage stated. "I'm more than certain… a way to defeat him is in those words somewhere…"

"Don't worry about it, let's get you some help ok?" Izuku helped Fumikage by hoisting him up over his shoulders.

"I'll be fine… just be careful…" He looked Izuku in the eye. And then merely said the following:

"We aren't fighting other heroes… we aren't even fighting villains… with powers like that, with that much control… we are fighting monsters."


	4. Heroes and Espers

**Not much to say this time around. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Fumikage… are you sure you're ok?" Ochako asked with concern. Fumikage was sitting in a chair with one arm in a sling, and his hand in a cast. Medical services on-site where able to relocate his arm, but there was nothing particularly special they could do for a broken hand. It was still quite sore.

"I'm fine… a little bit of bruised pride, that's all." Fumikage replied.

"Still…" Momo joined the conversation. "That looked really nasty."

"Yeah man, what happened? One moment you're charging the guy, the next you're flying back!" Eijirou exclaimed.

"He took the force I was going to hit him with, multiplied it, and sent it back… fairly cut and dry, but will definitely make things more difficult for us in the long run." Fumikage replied.

"You rest well. We will deal with this in your stead!" Tenya stated. Ochako looked around the room, Izuku was the one who helped Fumikage inside, but now was sitting at one of the tables, writing away.

"Hmm? Deku? What are you doing?" Ochako questioned. He was writing in a notebook; a new one. It was simply labeled, "Espers," and also had a piece of scratch paper next to him, which had various writings, most of which crossed out. In the note book, a somewhat crude drawing of Accelerator could be seen, with various comments about his description, and some notes written on the page opposite to it.

"Ah! S-sorry!" Izuku scrambled a bit. "I'm just trying to work on this…" Izuku pointed at the phrasing Accelerator used; it was written at the top of the page opposite to the drawing. "I think Fumikage might be on to something… so I'm trying to figure out how exactly Accelerator's ability works… I just have a lot of stuff I'm trying to work though while I try to figure it out… physics isn't my strongest area." Izuku rubbed the back of his head.

"Well… do you mind if… I watch? I might be able to help!" Ochako offered.

"W-well… if you want… it's not very exciting, but I-I welcome the company!" Izuku answered, noticeably red in the face. Ochako promptly sat down next to him, causing Izuku's own blush to intensify as he tried to get back to work.

"Huh… hey, Bakugou." Eijirou nudged Katsuki slightly.

"The hell do you want?" Katsuki huffed out.

"Don't look now, but Midoriya is about to start beating you when it comes to girls!" Eijirou joked, nodding toward Izuku and Ochako.

"Like I give a shit! He can become a harem king for all I care!" Katsuki replied harshly.

"Woah! Calm down, are you serious about that!?" Eijirou shot back.

"I got way more important things to worry about than some women." Katsuki replied. He appeared to be eyeing Accelerator, who was supposedly taking a nap on one of the couches.

"Yeah… true… least you got one of those level 0's though. Could be worse… you could of gotten into Fumikage's situation." Eijirou stated.

"As if! I'll blow him away!" Katsuki shot back, appearing more and more irritated.

"Ah… if there's one thing absolute about you Bakugou, it's your self-confidence at least!" Eijirou remarked.

"And what do you mean by that…!?" Katsuki turned his head slowly toward Eijirou.

"N-nothing man! It's fine, don't worry about it!" Eijirou tried to laugh it off.

The sound of the intercom system clicked overhead.

"Sorry for the delay everyone!" The announcer enthusiastically apologized. "Our new ring has been installed, and we are ready for our next match! Will Iida Tenya and Tsuchimikado Motoharu please report to the battlefield!?"

"It's my turn then…" Tenya stated, putting on his helmet.

"Hey~ Iida-kun!" Tsuchimikado called out. "Don't hold back because you're fighting a senpai~ let's do our best ok? Nya!"

"O-Of course! Do me the honor by doing the same!" Tenya bowed in respect.

"Now now, don't need to be so formal, loosen up a bit or you'll get all stiff!" Tsuchimikado replied.

'He's so… relaxed…' Tenya thought to himself. 'He is aware we are going to be fighting… right?'

"Iida! Do your best!" Izuku rose up from his work to wish the best of luck.

"Yeah! We're rooting for you man!" Eijirou added.

"Right! I will not lose!" Tenya shouted. The entire time, never once did Tsuchimikado lose his smile.

 **-Arena Field-**

"Alright. This is about to kick off! Just remember the rules, ok? You may start whenever you're ready!" The announcer declared. Tenya immediately shifted into some kind of stance but Tsuchimikado stood with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Iida-kun?" Tsuchimikado called out.

"What is it?" Tenya answered.

"I got something to say to you, want to hear me out?" Tsuchimikado replied. Tenya was wary, but curious.

"…Say what you will. Then prepare yourself!" Tenya replied. Tsuchimikado smirked.

"Fallere825." Tsuchimikado simply stated.

"Oh no… he's not going to take this THAT seriously, is he!?" Touma lamented from inside the waiting room. 'I'm trying to keep these guys OUT of the world of magic! What the hell are you doing Tsuchimikado!?' Touma thought.

"What is that…?" Tenya questioned.

"It means… the Backstabbing Blade." He then withdrew one of his hands from his pocket and threw what looked like a knife forward towards Tenya. He quickly caught it due to his reflexes, and was unarmed by the blade by his metal gauntlets.

"You think a trick like that will…" He trailed off, something was attached to the back of the blade; a black ball of sorts. Suddenly it emitted a violent flash of light, blinding him. "A miniature flash-bang!?" He called out as he was suddenly hit in an unarmored portion of his side, dropping the knife. Suddenly his helmet flew off and he was socked in the face, and was being outright pushed to the opposite side of the ring.

"Not like this…!" he wasn't able to see completely yet, but Tenya forced his legs down to grind the push to a standstill. But was suddenly lifted off his feet and thrown to the opposite center of the ring, rolling. He looked up, and had to roll; a sudden burst of energy was speeding toward him. He looked back and saw as it hit a wall, the energy faded. All that was left was a small orange origami figurine. "What… the hell…?"

"Hey, don't think for a second that just because the City says my ability is Auto-Rebirth, that it suddenly means that's my only ability, you hear me?" Tsuchimikado only smiled. He held out his hand; it was full of similarly colored origami figurines.

'He turned one of those into a high powered projectile…' Tenya thought, then his eyes widened. 'A Quirk AND an Esper ability…!? Is that possible!?'

'Tsuchimikado… stop using magic already! Every time you use one of those you're giving me a heart attack…!' Touma thought to himself, appearing quite nervous.

"Let's play with another one!" Tsuchimikado picked up one and tossed it into the air, and at the same time held out his hand, aiming at Tenya. The origami figure fell, and the moment it reached the center of his palm, it stopped, spun, and fired off like a missile.

" **Engine!"** Tenya suddenly burst off to the side with great speed. 'I can dodge it!' the attacks kept coming, becoming more and more difficult to dodge. He even started firing multiple off at a time. Tenya then noticed something; Bleeding. But it wasn't him; it was Tsuchimikado who was suddenly bleeding from his forehead. 'I never struck him… could his Quirk injure himself like Midoriya's?'

"Stay forced now! One false move and you'll be blown to bits!" Tsuchimikado fired enough, and more blood was spilled, this time from his own stomach.

'I can't let him keep doing this… the only way…!' Tenya suddenly turned toward Tsuchimikado after dodging the last attack. Tsuchimikado prepared another, but that's when Tenya acted. **"Recipro Burst!"** He suddenly charged forward, significantly faster than before, racing like a speeding bullet.

"Shit!" Tsuchimikado grunted as he prepared for the worst. Tenya slammed his metallic shoulder into Tsuchimikado's body, the impact launching him backward, clear out of the ring. Tenya panted, exhausted.

"You… were really good, Backstabbing Blade." Tenya remarked. Despite his injuries, Tsuchimikado laughed.

"Calling me it out blatantly, huh?" Tsuchimikado claimed to his feet, adjusting his sunglasses. "Wouldn't exactly make a good Hero name, eh? Too dark and foreboding for someone to support."

"B-be careful! You're injured!" Tenya warned.

"Auto-Rebirth!" Tsuchimikado called out. "Makes it so bad stuff, even injuries like this, heals right up. Can't really control it, and it might even give out at random if there's too much damage but… well, this isn't even the worst I've been in!" Tsuchimikado laughed. "Good game! I'll have to work harder to beat you next time, nya!"

"And that settles it! Iida Tenya advances to the second round!" The crowd cheered loudly. That was the kind of game they wanted to see. Not one of domination, but one where it could go either way at any moment.

"Thanks god… Tsuchimikado's magic didn't cause any incidents…" Touma sighed in relief.

"Magic? What are you talking about?" Izuku questioned. Touma mentally panicked.

'Damnit he heard me!? Come on… you can figure this out… think Kamijou! Think! Think damn it!' Touma racked his brain for an explanation. An idea popped into his head at the last second.

"Aha! It's his Quirk! Magic Figurines! Using small origami figurines, he can cause a wide variety of events, depending on the color! Like you saw, orange functions as a high powered blast attack! But it has a massive toll on his body, so he uses his Esper ability, Auto-Rebirth, to compensate!" Touma lied blatantly and as confidently has he could.

"That seems really unusual… but effective! If Iida had been hit, he would have won." Ochako cheerfully replied. Touma mentally sighed. "I'm glad Iida won though, he always works super hard! It gives me motivation for my match!" Ochako continued. "N-no offence to your friend, Kamijou! I-I'm sure he works really hard too!"

"Trust me; no offence taken." Touma replied. 'bastard deserves to be insulted after putting me through that!'

"Onee-sama! I have returned!" Kuroko teleported into the room, carrying two scones. "Here, just like you wanted!" She handed one of the scones to Mikoto.

"…You sent her out for scones? Really?" Touma questioned.

"Hey! I did pay for it!" Mikoto argued.

"Hey, if you're going to send her around getting stuff, I could really use a chocolate shake." Touma stated.

"I want a burrito with plenty of hot sauce!" Katsuki added. "They have that here, right!?"

"As if I'd get anything for you Neanderthals! Get it yourself!" Kuroko shot back.

"Was worth a shot…" Touma sighed.

"Damnit…" Katsuki clicked his teeth.

"Alright everyone! It is time for match three!" The announcer said overhead. "Will Uraraka Ochako and Shirai Kuroko please report to the ring please?"

"Looks like I got back just in time…" Kuroko commented.

"Alright! It's my turn, wish me luck everyone!" Ochako cheerfully commented, looking excited and determined at the same time.

 **-Arena Field-**

"Alright, match three. Rules: you know them! Get ready to rumble!" The announcer stated.

"Sorry, but I can't lose here." Kuroko said. "I have to make sure that I progress so I can assist onee-sama in this competition."

"Neither can I." Ochako responded. "I have friends who are counting on me. Important people to me. I Can't let them down!"

"Everyone ready?" The announcer shouted. "And… begin!"

And Suddenly, Kuroko vanished.

"Huh…? Where did she go- wah!" She was suddenly tackled from behind, falling on her front. It didn't take long for the suddenly appearing Kuroko to pin her to the ground, holding her arms in place.

"Sorry for the cheap trick. I really meant I can't lose here you know." She sat on Ochako's back, holding her arms behind her back. "This is just going to get worse if you don't surrender…"

"…Hehe…" Ochako laughed. "Funny thing about a pin like this, if you don't have the weight to keep me down." Kuroko didn't seem to notice, but despite the pin, she managed to fidget around enough to put her four fingers and her thumb on one of Kuroko's wrists.

"What are you talking about?" Kuroko questioned. Suddenly, she started floating into the air; she first noticed when her hair started to fly up. It was long before she went from pinning Ochako down to holding on to avoid flying into the sky. "What did you do!?"

"Zero Gravity." Ochako stated. "If I touch something with five of the fingers on one of my hands, I can make gravity zero for you! I bet even if you teleport it'll stay on!" Ochako cheerfully added, turning the tables and using Kuroko's confusion to break out of the grab ahold of Kuroko's arms, also flipping onto her back in the process. "If you want down… that can be arranged!" She suddenly turned and swung Kuroko downward, smashing her side into the ground.

"T-that hurt…" Kuroko choked out, still dizzied by the sudden change of pace with the combat. Ochako let go of her and she started to float away, but Ochako then grabbed ahold of Kuroko's leg and started to spin her around.

"I hope this works, I just made this up! **Home Run Grand Swing!"** She let go, propelling the weightless Kuroko towards the edge of the arena. Kuroko neared the edge but suddenly teleported into the air.

"Whew… close…" Kuroko said. Turns out that Ochako's claim was correct; she was still floating upward despite a teleport. Ochako put her fingers together.

"Release!" Ochako shouted. Almost instantly, Kuroko started to plummet. She teleports back to the ground, panting. She quickly teleports again, behind Ochako, but this time she's expecting it and swiftly spins around with a kick, nailing her right in the side and kicking her. Kuroko fell over to the side, rolling from the sudden hit.

"I can't keep this up… I'm getting really banged up out here…" It was quickly becoming apparent. Her teleport was a solid opening, surprising and could have ended it in a surrender. But Ochako's quirk messed with that strategy enough that she has been slammed into the ground on one side, and kicked in the other. Her teleport was becoming predictable, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that Ochako has a much better combat sense than her, as well as being much more close-range combat ability. "I got one shot left…!" She ran full speed toward her opponent. Ochako was already in a combat stance.

Kuroko leaped at Ochako, and she in turn jumped to the side and grabbed her outreaching arm. But contact was what Kuroko wanted in the first place. Suddenly Ochako vanished, and reappeared outside the ring.

However, she was floating.

Kuroko didn't take into account that when Ochako grabbed her, she never touched the ground.

Ochako was indeed outside the ring, but because of her quirk, she never touched the floor. And as such, is still technically in the game.

Kuroko was furious now. She charged forward then jumped, going for a jump-kick, then vanished. She reappeared, with full momentum, in front of Ochako in an attempt to kick her back and out into the arena walls for a ring out. Ochako however flipped forward in the air quickly as she rose, just narrowly dodging the kick, and then brings her own leg downward on top of Kuroko, kicking her downward, ending the match in a very close ring-out.

"Right down to the wire! Uraraka Ochako is our winner!" The Announcer shouted. The audience roared with cheers and words of congratulation, as well as applause.

"Damn…!" Kuroko chocked out. Recovering from the sudden impact. Ochako landed right next to her, wheezing, looking very dizzy.

"T-that was really close…!" Ochako stuttered out. Her face swelled like she was preparing to puke, but managed to keep it down. "I-I can't make myself float for very long… you're really good! If you had teleported me when you pinned me, I would of lost…"

"…Yeah, I mean I wanted to win, but I didn't want to just remove you without a chance…" Kuroko sighed. "Trying to be fair cost me the match…"

"That was nice of you…" Ochako wheezed again, her nausea slowly settling down. "I kind of feel bad now…"

"Don't. Taking advantage of an opponent's mistake is crucial to keeping the peace. If your shooting for being a hero, a style like that would be good…" Kuroko responded. "You are really good at close range."

"Y-yeah! I went in for some combat training with a group of heroes, and apparently I'm naturally gifted with grappling and martial arts!" Ochako cheerfully stated.

"Well, when your opponent literally weighs nothing, it does make them a lot easier to throw." Kuroko added. "Too bad… I was hoping to support onee-sama later on…"

"Don't worry, you can still support her in spirit!" Ochako nodded quickly. "That was a really good match! Thank you!"

 **-Waiting Room, a few minutes later-**

A short intermission interrupted the announcement of the next match. Some issues with their electrical equipment on-site had suddenly sprang up near the end of the match, and they were taking some time to repair the damage.

"That was really amazing Ochako!" Izuku exclaimed.

"R-really!? You think so!?" Ochako replied, blushing.

"Yeah, you did a really good job out there!" Tenya added.

"Haha… thank you!" Ochako cheerfully replied. "Hey… where did Shirai go? I wanted to talk to her some more."

"I think Misaka and her had to go… don't know why. Must of been important." Touma replied, stretching. "Or… they went out for more scones… as long as they return before their match I think we're free to leave, and Misaka doesn't go until the final match, so they must have plenty of time."

"You feeling ok?" Izuku questioned. "You're doing a lot of stretching…"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I know they said it'd be a bit before the next match started, but I'm up next, so I might as well get ready." Touma responded. "Fairly rare I get a chance before a fight…"

"Waste of time." Katsuki replied. "Why don't you fucking surrender and save ourselves both a waste of time!?" he added gruffly.

"Trust me, if I could back out, I would. But I kinda like walking… so…" Touma replied.

"You're going to lose a whole lot more if you're gonna fight me you shit!" Katsuki shouted. "Sure if you drop out, someone breaks your legs. But if you fight me, I'll blow off your arms!"

"You…" Touma turned toward Katsuki. "…You don't want to do that." He answered slowly.

"Huh…?" Katsuki's eyes narrowed. Something about how he said that seemed mysterious. And he didn't like it. "The hell are you talking about."

"It's just… something bad will happen if you do. Just… trust me, ok?" Touma rubbed the back of his head with his left hand. Katsuki only grew more suspicious, and clicked his teeth.

"Whatever. Just remember what I said, I'll blow you to pieces!" he angrily shouted. The mystery-bullshit was just making his already bad mood worse. Izuku watched the exchange, and his eyes wandered to Touma's right arm; wondering what exactly he meant.

"Hey, Mr. Hero." Accelerator sat up. He seemed to be paying attention to the matches but at the same time was uninterested. "You better not lose; you hear me? Sure, we're almost guaranteed to fight against one of these Quirk users, but if it suddenly become uneven, an esper might have to fight an esper."

"I… hadn't thought of that." Izuku commented.

"Yeah… and you can bet I'm after for some fucking payback you fucking hero." Accelerator seemed to grin creepily. "Seems like a good excuse to settle some shit, don't you agree?" Touma didn't answer. He only eyed Accelerator. Katsuki's anger started to overflow, when something clicked in his mind.

'Payback… you mean this guy…?' Katsuki thought to himself, looking back over at Touma. '…Alright, now it makes sense. This guy has a way around that fucker's reflection bullshit. So he's thinking if he can beat the strongest esper, that we'll do just as well against a quirk.'

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine, Kamijou!" Ochako cheerfully spoke.

"Uraraka! You're supporting the opposite team!" Tenya commented.

"Oops… sorry… forgot about the team-stuff for a second…" Ochako replied, covering her mouth with a little bit of a giggle afterward.

"Well… kind of hard to forget, we're all friends here." Izuku added. Touma smiled a bit.

"Alright! Sorry about that! Some of our equipment needed some replacements! We are good to go!" The announcer sounded over-head.

"About damn time." Katsuki punched his fists together.

"Well… let's get this over with then…" Touma sighed. "Such misfortune…"

"Time for our fourth match!" The Announcer said again. "Will Bakugou Katsuki and Kamijou Touma report to the ring please?"


	5. Imagine Breaker

**Apparently some people have been looking forward to this one.**

 **I hope you all like it! ^^**

* * *

The fourth match. The half-way point.

The one who passed the Hero Evaluation with the highest score, Bakugou Katsuki.

The lowest ranked esper, no AIM field at all, truly a zero among zeros, Kamijou Touma.

The strongest versus the weakest.

The boy of spikey blond stood across from the one of spikey black.

"…Being up on stage has a lot more pressure than I expected…" Touma commented, rubbing the back of his head.

"Shut it, you don't need to talk to me like I'm your friend or something." Katsuki responded.

"Who said I was talking to you? Just because someone near you is speaking makes you think they have to be talking to you? That's really conceited, you know." Kamijou shot back.

"What was that you piece of shit!?" Katsuki angrily shouted.

As the two continued their un-pleasantries, Izuku looked on in the waiting room with a conflicted expression.

"Is something wrong Midoriya?" Tenya asked.

"I can't decide who I want to root for…" He replied. "On one hand, Bakugou and me go back a really long time… but Kamijou seems like a really nice guy… and really friendly…"

"It's also difficult to tell a winner…" Tenya added.

"It depends on if that right hand of his works on Quirks." Accelerator suddenly joined the conversation.

"Huh? What about his right hand?" Kirishima joined in as well. "What's so special about it?"

"You'll see… maybe." Accelerator replied. "If it works on quirks, Kamijou wins. If it doesn't, your friend with the bad attitude wins. Simple as that."

"Is it… really that cut and dry…?" Izuku asked.

"Kamijou Touma… I haven't seen him since the Daihasei Festival…" Sogiita suddenly spoke, watching from one of the windows.

"…Is he strong?" Shouto asked, watching the event next to him.

"Don't scare us like that Shouto! Speak more often!" Kirishima shouted.

"Sorry…?" Shouto responded confused. Just because he wanted to keep to himself wasn't anyone else's business.

"… Incredibly." Sogiita replied, his arms crossed. "He is incredibly strong. You might think that by removing his power is how you defeat him, but doing so only unleashes a secret weapon of unstoppable proportions…" Sogiita punched his fist into his open palm, grinning. "I wonder if my guts are good enough to force him to use it!? I can't wait to see if an opportunity will show itself!"

"He's a little… eccentric…" Izuku commented.

"Fucking dumbass." Accelerator gruffly stated.

"I don't know, I think he seems kind of cool!" Kirishima said. Izuku sighed and turned his attention back to the match that was about to begin.

"Alright! Who here is ready for the next match!?" The announcer asked enthusiastically. The crowd responded with a roar of cheers.

"…Hey." Katsuki suddenly called out in the middle of their argument.

"…What is it?" Touma answered cautiously.

"You fought that Accelerator guy before, yeah?" Katsuki questioned.

"Why are you asking about that?" Touma answered.

"How'd you do it?" Katsuki gruffly asked. "He said he was after revenge… how did you fight against that…?"

"Well… I have a way." Touma answered. "But it won't work for you. You can't use it." Katsuki's face turned to anger again, but calmed down as he lowered his head.

"…Fine." Katsuki responded, arousing confusion from Touma.

"Let the match begin!" The announcer sounded, signaling the start of the match.

"If you don't want to tell me, then I'll force you to! Right after I'm finished blowing you to pieces!" Katsuki held one of his arms towards Touma, his wrist aimed down. On the front of the grenade-like gauntlet, Touma noticed a small hole.

"Huh…?" Touma took a step back.

"R-right off the bat with this!?" Izuku yelled form the waiting room. "If he uses that, he will really kill Kamijou! Don't do it Bakugou!"

"Go straight to hell! You scum-fucking son of a bitch!" Katsuki shouted as he pulled what looked like a pin out of his gauntlet.

A series of explosions rocked the arena. In a straight line, Katsuki discharged a massive blast straight forward. Smoke covered the south half of the ring because of it.

Everyone waited. Waited for a call from the announcer. Waited to see if the level zero was still alive.

Slowly, the smoke cleared. A single figure stood with in the smoke, arousing anger and confusion from Katsuki.

Kamijou Touma stood, holding his right hand outward towards Katsuki, in the smoke. The damage of the arena extended outward until it reached Touma, then it stopped suddenly.

Somehow, Kamijou Touma stopped the blast. Katsuki's gauntlets store the sweat from his arms, which by the effect of his quirk, becomes nitroglycerin at will when expelled, and includes the ability to expel it of his own accord. However, it seemed to have absolutely no effect. Not even Touma's hand seemed to be damaged.

"T-t-thank g-god!" Touma stuttered out, noticeably shaken. "I-Imagine Breaker works on q-quirks! Haha!" He laughed, but mentally cursed himself. 'You idiot! If that didn't work, you would have died!' he thought, trying to calm his body down.

Katsuki looked ready to scream.

"So that's it huh!?" His hands formed fists. "Fine! Fucking fine! If that's how you wanted it, I'll blow you apart piece by piece!" Katsuki held out an open palm behind him and an explosion triggered, propelling Katsuki forward. His hand reached out in an attempt to attack Touma with another explosion, but he dodged to the side. The explosion forced Katsuki into a stand-still, which he then used to try and follow up with another; this one was negated by the explosion coming into contact with Touma's right hand. Ever ruthless, Katsuki kept up his violent assault.

This continued for a while. Each attack Katsuki launched was either dodged or blocked by Imagine Breaker. But all the while, Touma never counter attacked.

"A-amazing…" Izuku commented.

"Bakugou is as ruthless as ever… but his skill with his explosions has grown considerably." Tenya stated.

"Kamijou's reflexes are lightning quick though… by the time Bakugou attacks, he's already in the momentum to either dodge or block it… his combat intuition is way above mine…" Ochako added.

'With an ability like that… no wonder he somehow managed to overcome such a devastating ability.' Fumikage thought to himself, glancing at Accelerator. 'A key to defeating him was on Accelerator's own team the entire time… but what he said… there must be another way.'

"That kind of battle prowess is something you get from years of fighting." Sogiita said. "Who knows what kind of enemies he's made… and his guts guided him through it all! I'm excited!"

"You're not even fighting him, remember?" Misaki suddenly added. "Even if your guts-power is at maximum, you won't have an opportunity to clash with him.

"It is just as Accelerator said! If the teams become uneven, anything is possible!" Sogiita retorted.

"And don't forget! You have to beat me, first!" Kirishima shouted.

"Very well! I accept your challenge!" Sogiita made a fist out toward Kirishima with a grin. Kirishima returned the grin with one of his own.

"You two are already going to… ugh, forget it." Misaki shifted her attention back to the match. She wore a concerned expression on her face, seemingly eyeing Touma.

'Huh… she looks worried… Kamijou really does know a lot of people… I wonder if…' Izuku thoughts trailed off.

'Don't go using that thought-power of yours to jump to conclusions~' the voice of Misaki sounded inside Izuku's head.

'Y-you're still in my head!?' he thought.

'Indeed!' Misaki cheerfully answered, leading Izuku to audibly groan. Izuku shifted his attention back to the match, looking concerned himself.

It was a match where he didn't want either one to lose.

"Come on! Dodge, block, dodge block! Do something else! Fight me you bastard!" Katsuki mocked. Touma gritted his teeth. Katsuki lunged forward with his right hand open, the explosion already starting to trigger. Touma however, side-stepped to the right, and was now in his blind spot.

"Fine, if that's what you want, here you go! And you better not complain to me later!" Touma brought his hand back and formed a fist. He threw it, aimed for Katsuki's face; it smashed into it like a truck. The force from the impact outright launched Katsuki backward, causing him to roll. He had to reach up and slam his hands against the ground, grinding against it, to slow himself so he wouldn't fly out of the ring. Katsuki looked up, as angry as ever, with a trickle of blood forming from his nose, as well as the right side of his lip.

'This guy...! This guy…! He makes me so god damn mad! It's driving me crazy!' Katsuki thought, but suddenly started to grin as he reached up to wipe the blood off of his face. 'But… at the same time… he just makes me come right back at him with everything I've got!' His palms exploded, launching him into the air. One arm back, one forward, he came down on top of Touma. He stood ready, but just as Katsuki would reach his target, the palm behind him exploded, propelling him over Touma. Katsuki landed and struck Touma in the back, forcing him forward.

Touma cried out in pain, but quickly turned around to counter attack, but Katsuki dodged the flying punch and slipped into Touma's guard and blasted him in the chest, knocking him onto his back. Katsuki leapt on top of him to attack again, but Touma kicked him in the stomach and rolled, using the opportunity to get back on his feet. He felt the area's where he had been hit; his clothed were fried and his flesh was singed; not quite bloody but definitely burnt, and painful.

"That… really hurts, you know…!" Touma panted.

"No shit!" Katsuki shouted back, immediately jumping back onto the offensive. He charged straight toward Touma with his hand outstretched. Touma, however, dodged into Katsuki's guard and grabbed his arm, and then flipped him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground on his back; a successful judo throw.

"Come on man…! Why do you got to be so violent!? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to kill me…!" Touma panted as Katsuki got to his feet.

"Shut up… will you!?" Katsuki breathed out. That impact had knocked the wind out of him. On top of that, the combination of all of his movements and the drastic over-use of his quirk was starting to wear him out.

Touma, however, also had major blows to his stamina because of the explosive attacks on his back and chest.

"I'm not… going to lose… to you!" Katsuki breathed out as he suddenly burst into a run again. They started the chain again of blocking and dodging. Touma was being forced backward towards the edge of the ring. Touma tried to step back but felt the edge with his heel, and instead had to move to the side after an attack.

They were both now right next to each other, on the side of the ring.

They both chambered a fist, aimed to knock each other out of the ring.

Touma's right, Katsuki's left.

Fists flew, smashing into human flesh.

They both hard struck each other, the force of the hits and the angle combined knocked them both out of the ring.

But Touma's fist had struck first.

So with mere mili-seconds of time difference, Katsuki started to tumble first. He hit the ground hard, as did Touma. But because of that time difference, he landed first.

Katsuki had lost, and Touma had won.

The weakest had defeated the strongest.

The crowd roared with applause and cheers as the announcer declared the winner. Both could hear it rather dully, suddenly the world seemed to fade away, the last things they heard was Kamijou Touma being declared the winner by a photo-finish. They both faded into unconsciousness shortly after.

 **-Waiting Room, 18 minutes later-**

Touma's eyes opened slowly, the lights on the ceiling blinding him briefly. He slowly sat-up to try and take in his surroundings; everything around him was dulled by a fair bit of confusion.

"Hey… where am I…?" Touma asked out loud.

"Kamijou, you're awake! Are you ok?" Touma heard Izuku's voice. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear up his vision, and finally recognized that he was in the waiting room.

"Y-yeah… I think so." Touma answered. He searched himself; his over and under shirts had been removed and his chest and back were covered in bandages; looked like first-aid was performed on him rather recently; it couldn't of been more than 15 minutes ago.

"S-so… Y-you fought and won huh!? L-looks like you got really messed up though! T-too bad I could s-see it!" Mikoto had apparently returned sometime after the match. She tried to speak in a mocking tone, but the constant stutter ruined her attempt, in addition to the blush on her face.

"Eh? You ok biri-biri? You look like a tomato. Did you catch a cold or something?" Touma questioned.

"N-n-no! I-I'm fine! You idiot!" Mikoto shouted.

"If I may interject!" Sogiita suddenly joined the conversation. "Railgun has been like this since she returned with her friend! Around the time she saw you all bandaged up, Kamijou!"

"Maybe she's embarrassed to see a manly-man's nearly bare chest! Her emotions can't stand the intensity!" Kirishima joined in.

"N-n-no way! Shut up! Take it back!" Mikoto sparked violently, but her blush deepened. Touma looked on, but suddenly got an evil idea. If what Kirishima said was true then…

"Hey, you guys used ointment on my burns right?" Touma spoke up. "They are starting to sting; I think I need some more. I'd do it but I have trouble getting these bandages off myself." Touma finished. Mikoto paused mid-sentence, blush intensifying even more.

"I can do it! My hardening also makes my hands really ridged; I can cut through those bandages no problem!" Kirishima replied back.

"Y-you can't!" Mikoto argued.

"Why not?" Kirishima protested.

"I-it's not decent! T-there has to be a nurse's station s-somewhere around here, right!?" Mikoto argued further.

"But we have the materials we need right here… unless…" An evil grin formed on Kirishima's face. "…Do you want to do it?"

"M-m-me!? W-why m-m-me!?" Mikoto choked out.

"Well someone has to do it. If you don't want me to, then you must want to, right?" Kirishima replied.

"N-no w-way! W-why would I w-want to d-do something like that!? I d-don't even know first-aid!" Mikoto shot back.

"Come on guys! It's starting to get bad!" Touma fake-whined.

"Fine, if you won't then I will." Kirishima started to undo Touma's bandages.

"N-no! F-fine! If I have to t-then I'll do it!" Mikoto practically leapt forward, reaching for Touma's bandages in an attempt to undo them. Before she could even undo the first strap, however, she froze. She realized where she was and what she was about to do.

Undo Kamijou Touma's bandages firstly, but more importantly, expose his bare chest. All to herself.

Her face turned a bright red as she started to shake. Her heart thumped loudly; it was nearly audible to the room around her. She slowly looked up to Touma's face, her shaking form unable to control itself.

"Something wrong Misaka? I hope you take good care of me…" Touma trailed off, but spoke in a very cheerful tone. That did it. Using her last name did her in; it pushed her over the edge. She couldn't take it anymore.

"T-t-t-there's n-no w-way I c-can do something l-like this!" Mikoto virtually screamed, outright falling backward and quickly going for the door, practically running from the room. Touma let out a content sigh, amused by what had transpired. Kirishima did the same.

"W-wow… s-she really does like him…" Izuku commented quietly.

"Y-yeah… There's no mistaking it…" Ochako added.

"In my own opinion… it would be arguable that her feelings for him go beyond just… being interested in him… possibly…" Tenya chose his words carefully. Both Izuku and Ochako nodded in agreement simultaneously. "She just… has difficulty… conveying those emotions…" He continued. Once again, Izuku and Ochako simply agreed. After a short time, things settled back down. The arena was being fixed due to Katsuki's explosion assaults severely damaging it, so the next match had been delayed yet again.

"Hey… Midoriya?" Touma spoke up suddenly. "Where did Bakugou go?"

"Bakugou? He's… in the far corner, looking out the window… b-but I really wouldn't recommend talking to him right now… he was really angry when he came to!" Izuku tried to warn.

"It's fine, I got some stuff I need to say, and it's better to do it now that I'm thinking about it." Touma answered.

"A-are you sure? Like I said, he is really angry!" Izuku argued.

"It's fine. I've had worse injuries." Touma sat up and got off the couch he was resting on as Izuku tried to convince him to hold off on everything, and looked for Katsuki, approaching him when he found him. Katsuki glanced at Touma's general direction, but then quickly looked back out the window.

"Hey…"Touma called out. No reaction. "Umm… are you ok? It seemed like you really got messed up like I did." He tried again. No reaction. "…I hear there is half off on a buffet up the street! Since our match is done, how about I buy lunch?" Touma tried once more. Still no reaction. "…Ah, this is harder than I thought…"

"The hell do you want? Spit it out already." Katsuki spoke in an irritated voice.

"I… just wanted to apologize." Touma replied. "I know you had some things riding in this but-"

"Then why the fuck didn't you just let me win?" Katsuki interrupted.

"That was actually the plan…" Touma admitted. Katsuki was now looking at him. "I had intended to do the dance for a bit, and then take a dive when it looked believable… but..." he trailed off, rubbing the back of his head.

"What changed…?" Katsuki asked plainly.

"You tried to blow me to bits with that grenade-cannon-thing…" Touma answered.

"Oh." Katsuki looked at his right arm, and then clicked his teeth. "Whatever. I would have despised that kind of win anyway. What the hell is the point of trying to win when it's guaranteed?" Katsuki looked back out the window. Touma sighed.

"I just wanted to say that… I know you had some stuff you were working toward in this competition, and I'm sorry that my own bad luck got us thrown into a match together…" Touma stated. After waiting for a while, Touma decided he wasn't going to get a response back and started to walk away. Katsuki gritted his teeth.

"I won't lose to you again." Katsuki muttered.

"Huh?" Touma asked, just barely hearing him.

"I said I won't fucking lose to you again! Either you or fucking Deku! You hear me!? Next time we fight, I'll blast you straight to hell!" Katsuki shouted, loud enough for the entire room to hear.

"… Yeah, I understand." Touma responded. "I'll fight you anytime you want. As many times as it takes for you to be satisfied. Sounds good, right?" Katsuki appeared surprised, but then grinned.

"You're going to regret making a statement like that, you know that right?" Katsuki replied.

"Wouldn't be first time…" Touma answered, remembering a certain level 5 who keeps trying to electrocute him.

Izuku, who was watching, slowly started to smile.

"That's good that it's settled..." Izuku stated. And how true that statement was.

Because there is still four more matches in just the first round of this tournament.


	6. The World of Guts!

**Time for a manly fight... here it goes!**

* * *

The halfway point has come and gone.

With the repairs completed, it was now time for the fifth match. A battle of manly men.

Kirishima Eijiro versus Sogiita Gunha.

"Finally, the time has arrived! This body of mine has been waiting for this!" Sogiita said, stretching in the ring.

"Same here, I've been waiting for this for what feels like ages!" Kirishima responded, doing the same.

"We really need a better system for the rings…" The announcer lamented. "…But when it gives us combat like we've seen, it's a problem we will have to grit and bear, right!?" the audience cheered. "Match five! Begin!"

Kirishima charged first, his entire right arm hardening and becoming ridged. He slammed his right fist into Sogiita's face, who in turn grinded back a fair bit, but looks up after the assault smiling.

"I see. I felt it." Sogiita stated. "Your guts. Now that I have felt your guts, it is only naturally that I show you mine!" Sogiita charged as Kirishima with a chambered fist, and Kirishima put up his guard, hardening both of his arms. **"Amazing Punch!"**

The attack smashed into Kirishima's guard, forcing him back. It was like blocking a bullet train. A short time after the impact, the area Kirishima had been hit suddenly exploded, launching Kirishima back further. He slowly grinded to a halt. It didn't hurt anywhere near as bad as it looked; Kirishima's hardening ability made his skin more dense than steel.

But the force of the punch and the explosion almost forced him out of the ring outright.

"Damn… that was really good!" Kirishima commented. "My soul resonated with that you know. I can't back down after an attack like that!" Kirishima bolted full-speed toward Sogiita.

"That's right, keep coming back for more! Show me every last ounce of your guts!" Sogiita shouted back, answering Kirishima's charge with his own.

The two's fists collided in the middle of the ring. The impact sounded like an explosion going off. The unstoppable force of Sogiita's attack crash fighting against the indestructible body of Kirishima's hardening. The brawl continued. They hit each other back and forth; blow for blow. It seemed to go on for minutes at a time.

The chain of blows only ended when Kirishima abruptly tackled Sogiita, attempting to force him off the ring. In response, Sogiita knee'd Kirishima in the chin and used the opening to kick him back. Kirishima rebounded and came back running as Sogiita followed up with a charge of his own; they both chambered fists and threw them when they got close.

They both struck each other across the face. Despite the blow, they quickly resumed their fight, once again exchanging blow after blow. Kirishima suddenly uppercut Sogiita into the air, but when he came for the follow-up, Sogiita suddenly drop-kicked Kirishima into the ground face first.

Kirishima pushed himself up, only to be hit by an Amazing Punch, being launched and promptly exploding as he flew. He hit the ground and grinded to a halt and just barely rolled out of the way of a follow-up attack, via a jump-kick from Sogiita, which crashed into the ground. Kirishima came back running and struck Sogiita across the face.

Fists then clashed again, the shockwave blasted the two apart. Kirishima stomped the ground with all of his strength when he landed, and uprooted a large section of the arena floor. He picked up the large piece of concrete and hurled it like a disk at Sogiita.

Sogiita shattered the attack with a head-butt, splitting the concrete slab in half. He reeled back a fist and shouted, "Amazing punch!" He threw his fist forward and Kirishima put up his guard. Despite being nowhere near Kirishima, Sogiita's punch, or rather the force of it, hit Kirishima and shortly after exploded. The dust settled to reveal Kirishima still standing with his guard up, panting.

"You're really good! Your guts are impressive." Sogiita stated; his arms crossed his chest.

"Thanks, you're really good too, you know!" Kirishima responded, catching his breath.

They both grinned across from each other. Despite it being a hard-fought battle on both sides, they were both still having the time of their lives.

"Those two… are really going at it…" Izuku commented.

"Kind of awe-inspiring, eh?" Touma added. "Sogiita always seemed like the over-the-top type for sure… looks like he met his match though."

"Kirishima's hardening seems to be able to withstand Sogiita's attacks… but at the same time, Sogiita himself has remarkable durability to withstand hard-hits from Kirishima's hardened attacks…" Tenya commented.

"Yeah, he can really take a hit. He also has a hard time even noticing he's been injured too." Misaki suddenly spoke up. "His brawling-power is maximum. He's not the kind of person you want to try and over-power! Though your friend seems to really like trying to do just that!"

"Seems like they are both really enjoying their fight to me…" Ochako commented.

"I feel sorry for whoever has to fight against either of these two next. Battle-maniacs like these are usually rather hard to take down." Momo suddenly joined the conversation.

Before anyone could comment further, the sound of an explosion filled the arena; Kirishima and Sogiita's clash had started again. Kirishima suddenly kicked Sogiita in the stomach, but Sogiita rebounded and went for a low uppercut, hitting Kirishima straight in the jaw. Sogiita then began to rapidly punch Kirishima in the stomach, but after a short time he grabbed Sogiita's arms and head-butted him, then followed up by smashing a hardened knee into Sogiita's stomach, the force separating the two again.

"These two can keep going on like this forever it seems like…" Ochako commented.

"More than likely, this will continue until one of them scores a ring-out." Tenya said. "They have been fighting for a while, but both of them still seem in their stride; no real signs of exhaustion."

"These two's destruction-power is too high for there not to be some kind of give…" Misaki whined. "I want to have my match so I can go home…"

"Looks like you're shit out of luck then." Accelerator commented.

"Boo! So mean!" Misaki replied.

"How does an ability like Sogiita's even work…?" Izuku questioned.

"It's telekinesis." Misaki answered. "His amazing punch launches a massive force of telekinetic pressure, and then he provides stimuli to the telekinetic field to make it explode violently. Your friend should be lucky he can make himself so dense at will."

"Wow… that's amazing." Izuku commented

"Yes it is… especially because the second half of that is impossible." Misaki added.

"Huh?"

"That is his description of his Amazing Punch, not mine. When you do as he describes, you get a completely different reaction. It's like he's defying the laws of physics themselves." Misaki answered. "One might say that his ability is the most unscientific ability of them all; the ability to make the impossible possible."

"That's still really amazing, though." Izuku said, looking back at the arena. The duo had started fighting gain during their discussion and had just separated again.

"Want to know something?" Sogiita called out. "I don't actually care about the end result of this competition."

"Huh? Then why did you enter!?" Kirishima shouted.

"For people like you." Sogiita answered. "To see with my own eyes, people who will never surrender, will keep on fighting until the bitter end, never letting their guts falter! To meet people like that, so that I can test my own guts against them!" A force shot outward in all directions, clearing the ring of dust and debris, as Sogiita chambered a fist. "Come on! Show me everything your guts has to offer!"

"You don't have to tell me!" Sogiita hardened his body again. "If you expected me to hold back this late in the game, I'd have to call you crazy! Let's do this!" His fingers straightened and hardened, aiming to be more like knives then hands.

Then then both charged each other, their attacks ready. As soon as they were close their fists collided. A voice could be heard, however…

" **Super… Amazing Punch!"**

The attacks collided and an explosion triggered, covering the entire ring. Kirishima was seen flying from the right all the way into the arena wall, slamming into it with his back before sliding down.

"Damn it…!" Kirishima cursed. The dust slowly settled, to reveal Sogiita standing in the ring, back several feet, but still well within the rings limits.

And his right hand, the one he had used to attack with, had been split in half, almost all the way up to his wrist.

"That was a really good assault! If I hadn't used Super Amazing Punch, you probably would have the advantage!' Sogiita cheerfully commented despite his grave injury.

"T-that's cool and all, b-but your hand! I'm sorry man!" Kirishima panicked.

"Nonsense!" Sogiita shouted. He used his left to hold his right together, and forced it to form a fist. He raised it up high and smashed into the ground with it. It was still bleeding, and the line of the cut was still there, but it's like he forced the bones and important issue to reconnect with his own strength of will.

"This is the power of my guts!" Sogiita shouted to the sky, holding his right fist upward. "Train yourself! Train yourself and your guts, then come back and fight me again! That is my challenge to you!"

"S-So… cool…!" Kirishima practically forgot he had just been defeated and just stared in awe of the absolute manliness before him.

"We have a winner people! Sogiita Gunha, the Attack Crash, advances to round two!" The announcer shouted, causing the crowd to absolutely rave about the match, cheering and shouting. Sogiita jumped from the ring over, and helped Kirishima to his feet, and they both returned to the waiting room.

 **-Waiting Room, Shortly After-**

"Man… they really did not think things through with their ring-idea… keep getting smashed after every match…" Touma commented. They were stuck in yet another delay while they fix the ring. "Maybe next time they'll make back-ups…"

"It would be a good idea…" Izuku added.

"Man... these gym clothes suck…" Touma lamented. They had apparently finally found a shirt for him, but it was several sizes too big.

"It could be worse though…" Izuku commented. "They could have just come down and say that all they had were girl's shirts several sizes too small."

"Happened before…" Touma replied.

"Y-you're kidding…!"

"Nope… gym classes… such misfortune…" Touma sighed. Mikoto had finally re-entered the room, but it seemed like Kuroko had opted to go into the stands, seeing as she did not like the company in the waiting room. But Mikoto avoided Touma like the plague; so much as getting close to him caused her to break out in a blush and do whatever she could to get away from him.

Touma shrugged it off. But he did wonder why she was blushing whenever he approached her though. The thought was quickly pushed out of his mind, however.

"Guys… I'm a bit worried…" Ochako said.

"What's wrong Uraraka?" Izuku asked.

"Yaoyorozu has been extremely quiet the entire time… and now she's just sitting in a chair shaking… I think the events of the past few fights have gotten to her…" Ochako replied.

"…Nah, it's probably because of Aogami." Touma replied. "The guy is a hyper pervert, so it's understandable."

"We've dealt with a certain pervert before though." Ochako said.

"…You haven't dealt with Aogami. Completely different case… you name it, he's into it…" Touma looked annoyed while talking about it. "And I mean… really into it…"

"That's terrible… why are you friends with such a person?" Tenya asked.

"…Really good question. One I don't have an answer to sadly." Touma replied. The speakers overhead clicked on, and everyone knew what that meant.

It was time for the next match.

Yaoyorozu Momo versus Aogami Peirce.

 **-Arena Field-**

'Why… why did I have to get stuck with someone like this!?' Momo thought to herself, questioning her decision to even enter the competition at this point.

"Is something wrong? Maybe Aogami-senpai can help!" Aogami asked.

"N-no! I'm fine!" Momo replied.

"Are you sure? Aogami-senpai knows a lot of things that may be able to help a well-developed and still developing girl like you!" Aogami insisted.

"I-I'm fine! What's with you anyway!?" Momo questioned, pointing an accusing finger at Aogami. "You've been creeping me out since this all started! I wear this outfit so I can use my ability easier, why are you so into it!?" She questioned further, somewhat acknowledging that her hero costume is more than a bit revealing.

"Oh, it's not that I'm just into your outfit!" Aogami answered. "It's that I'm into your outfit as well! I could go on about what I like if you want!"

"D-don't you dare…!" Momo threatened.

"Alright kids, break it up, you two can fight when the match starts… which is right now! Begin!" The announcer shouted.

Momo immediately reached for her right thigh with her left hand. A long metal pole produced itself out of her skin as she pulled it out, drawing a weapon. However, right as soon as she finished, Aogami was suddenly right in front of her, leaning forward.

"Oh wow, you weren't kidding! What else can you make?" Aogami questioned. Momo freaked out at the sudden appearance, swing her metal pole horizontally, but Aogami quickly ducked. She then slammed it downward vertically, but Aogami rolled to the side. She tried to thrust it into him next, but he suddenly vanished. She suddenly felt a tug at the back of her outfit.

"Wow… such nice material! Red leather is really in, hot and saucy!" Aogami pulled lightly on the material. Growing more frustrated, Momo spun around and swung, but Aogami ducked once more, but this time Momo kicked Aogami in the face, launching him backward. He landed with a thud, but suddenly vanished again. Momo looked around until she heard a voice form below her.

"Just as I thought, it's a one piece! Doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it?" Aogami said. He was laying down below her on the ground, his head in-between his legs. He actually looked rather comfortable. Angering her further, she tried to stomp on him, but he quickly rolled when she lifted up her leg. Two more attacks, like before, he dodged, then vanished.

Dodge, dodge, vanished. The pattern was starting to become apparent.

"How… are you doing that?" Momo breathed out, trying to catch her breath, trying to capture Aogami proved quite difficult. "Teleporter again…?"

"…You fool!" Aogami suddenly sounded serious. "You compare my ability to mere teleportation!? Surely you jest! You do not fully understand my power!" he then held out one hand, open palmed, towards Momo, with the other covering his face dramatically. "You face The World!"

"The World…? I was told that before… what exactly-" Momo was cut-off when Aogami suddenly appeared in front of her again, this time grabbing ahold of her metal pole.

"Time is a fickle thing in this world… everyone seems to be lacking it… not me. I have so much, I can pause it any time I want and not even care." Aogami replied.

'…Wait, that explanation… he can… stop time!?' Momo thought, quickly backing up after forcing Aogami away from her with a kick. Suddenly, the metal pole in her hands was gone; it was now in Aogami's hands.

"Bad girl, weapons can hurt people, you know?" Aogami grinned, tossing it aside.

'Damn… what is his secret…!? It has to have some kind of weakness…!' Momo continued to back up, slowly approaching the edge of the ring, just trying to keep her distance. She started to create things, anything, and almost instantly as soon as she created them, they vanished and appeared in Aogami's hands, who quickly discarded them. She was nearing the edge of the ring. She started to notice something… Aogami's eyes would start to open for a split second before he vanished.

She had an idea, and just as she thought of it, Aogami appeared behind her.

"Trying to escape from me by exiting the ring? We can't have that!" He said. "I just want to get to know you a bit! Come on! I already figured out your measurements, but I want to know so much more!" Momo turned around to face Aogami.

"…If you want to know something about me, then…" She started to make something that looked like a box. It too, vanished, right out of her hands.

"In here?" Aogami said, holding up the box. He shook it around for a bit, and suddenly appeared in front of her, obviously using his ability. "Let's take a look see!" He opened the box, and heard a click. Inside was what looked like a flash-bang grenade.

"…Oh." Aogami said simply. It then ignited, blinding Aogami at point blank. He dropped the box and clutched his eyes in pain. Momo had apparently put on thick-black shades in the short time that passed.

'I knew it… it triggers when his eyes open… and it has a time limit before he can use it again!' Momo thought. She then quickly then charged at him, shoving him out of the ring and onto his back.

"Oww… cheap shot!" Aogami complained.

"It's your own fault! Signing up for a competition just so you can use your ability to perv on girls!" Momo accused.

"Oh, I didn't sign up for that, that's more of a side bonus!"

"Huh…?" Momo was suddenly confused.

"Me and Tsuchimikado signed up to trick Kami-yan to join us!" Aogami cheerfully admitted.

"…Really?"

"Yup! And now that me and Tsuchimikado are out, we get to watch Kami-yan make a fool of himself for the rest of the tournament! That's why we told Fukiyose he was signing up! So she'd force him to stay in so our school can get credits!" Aogami was now sitting comfortably on the ground.

"Well, reasons or not, Yaoyorozu Momo is our winner!" The announcer shouted.

"Huh… you were right Kamijou, they did con you into this…" Izuku said.

"I knew it…!" Touma lamented in a mixture of sadness, anger, and betrayal. He knew the reasons, but hearing it so blatantly just felt so insulting.

"No worries Kami-yan! I'm sure you'll do fine! And we'll record it and show the school, nya!" Tsuchimikado said.

"Don't. Talk. To. Me." Touma said, trying to keep his voice down.

"Ah... s-sorry Kamijou…" Izuku apologized.

"It's not your fault…" Touma sighed. "Such misfortune…"

"I'm sure it'll work out fine Kamijou!" Ochako cheerfully said.

"Midoriya." Fumikage suddenly spoke, addressing Izuku. "Are you ready?"

"Huh? Ready?" Izuku asked.

"You're fighting next… and you have your own level 5 to deal with…" Fumikage answered.

"That's me!" Misaki cheerfully responded. "Don't worry, I'm sure we will have lots of fun together!"

"E-eh!?" Izuku suddenly looked worried, while Ochako suddenly looked irritated. Izuku himself couldn't help but notice a very bad feeling creeping up his back.

"Don't worry, Let Misaki take care of you…!"


	7. The Queen and the Ace

**This one is one of my favorites. I Hope you like it!**

* * *

To say Izuku was worried was an understatement.

Firstly, he was in a rather large arena, surrounded by people, all watching his every move.

Secondly, he was going to be fighting a level 5 Esper, and level 5 Espers currently hold the ranking of undefeated in this tournament.

Thirdly, he was fighting a girl, something he had never even considered doing in the first place.

Finally, the girl he was fighting? She could read his mind. And was currently doing so. And had been doing so ever since the event started.

"You can loosen up!" Misaki called out cheerfully, one hand on a large bag she wore on her right side, the strap of which going over her left shoulder and consciously in-between her breasts, somewhat separating them. Izuku could only think that wearing such a thing in that particular fashion was intentional. "If you look too stiff, you'll look un-cool and you hero-power will never show up! Come on, strike a pose! And say that you'll defeat the super-villain!" Misaki said, striking a pose of her own.

"R-really…?" Izuku questioned, and then fiercely shook his head. "I'm fine! I don't need to act like someone I'm not!"

"Honesty is best, that's for sure!" Misaki acknowledged, nodding her head. 'Just like how honest you are about how you got your Quirk ability!' Misaki thought, her voice intentionally appearing in Izuku's head.

'Ha… no one knows about that…" Izuku thought… and then abruptly started to freak out. 'H-how did you figure it out!?'

'I can't just read your thoughts; your memories are also as wide open as a book to me… All Might must be a really good father figure, right? You're really lucky to have such a dotting teacher on your side!'

'Y-you can't tell anyone…! You can't! If people find out about One for All and how it works I'll…' Izuku's hand formed into a fist.

'Yes yes! You expect onee-sama to tell secrets? Of course not… I'm merely showing off a little bit…' Misaki answered; still their entire conversation still taking place is Izuku's mind.

'T-that's not a good thing you know…' Izuku sighed.

'Then I'll just have to settle with how you feel about your Uraraka Ochako friend!' Misaki smiled as her telepathic message sent. 'How romantic, met on the first day of testing, saved her life, talk to her every day, growing closer all the while… it's a regular action-packed romance novel!'

"S-Stop reading my mind and sending w-weird messages to me!" Izuku suddenly shouted.

"Don't worry! All of your delicious, embarrassing, and emotional secrets are safe with onee-sama!" Misaki replied, their conversation now happening externally. "I won't even tell the world about the girl you like!"

"I said stop!" Izuku shouted, growing more and more worried that Misaki might suddenly tell all of his secrets before the entire world.

Things inside the waiting room were getting more than a bit… tense. Ochako stared out the window. Her bad mood started when the match was called for Izuku and Misaki. She started just being frustrated that Misaki was being so friendly and open towards Izuku, but it was only getting worse from there.

"Uraraka… are you ok…" Tenya asked.

"I'm fine…" She replied in a tense voice.

"…Are you sure?" Tenya asked again.

"Yes." She simply answered in the same tone as before. Tenya was starting to feel uneasy.

"…Don't worry, Misaki does that to people." Mikoto chimed in. "She's a flirt by nature, and is someone who can't resist using her ability on people… Uraraka is probably just worried about your Midoriya friend."

"I-if you think so…" Tenya trailed off. The atmosphere didn't feel any better as Ochako continued to stare at the two people in the ring.

"Alright… if everyone is ready, you can begin!" The announcer shouted. Misaki reached into her bag and pulled out a TV remote, an old styled one.

" **One for All Full Cowl!"** Izuku shouted, his entire body starting to glow. Misaki raised her hand with the remote and pressed a button. Izuku tried to burst toward, but suddenly fell over. Try as he might, his legs were no longer responding to him. "M-my legs…!"

"That ability's power is way too high for a frail girl like me~" Misaki stated. "Do you really want to hurt onee-sama?"

"N-no… I just want to win..! And also… I'm fairly certain I'm older than you so… c-could you let me go!?" Izuku tried to push himself, which proved difficult to do without his legs. Suddenly his arms and legs moved on their own, forcing him into a standing position. His One for All Full Cowl suddenly de-activated, and his limbs started moving on their own, starting to run around the ring. "Y-You've got to be kidding me! My arms too!?"

"Yes!" Misaki cheerfully replied. "You are seeing the power of my Mental Out first hand! Usually, I block out people's minds when I do this, but I figured it'd be fun to see you run around and react to your helpless-ness for onee-sama!"

"Oh come on! How am I supposed to defeat this!?" Izuku shouted.

"Now, let's do some cartwheels!"

"Come on! Stop it!" Izuku said, his body refusing to listen to him, which was now flawlessly cartwheeling around the ring.

"Aw, you don't want to show off for onee-sama?" Misaki whined. "But girls really like to see how buff and flexible their guys are! What better way than for a little physical display? Think of it as a sort of mating dance!"

"S-stop messing with me!" Izuku shouted again, this time blushing.

Ochako's face appeared to darken as she continued to watch. The atmosphere inside the waiting room continued to degrade as her mood got worse and worse.

"…I-I know I asked this already… b-but are you absolutely sure you're ok, Uraraka…?" Tenya nervously asked. He could practically hear Ochako's neck creek as she turned her head to face him, making Tenya's nervousness turn to fear.

"No… I'm… fine…" Ochako answered slowly, her voice sounding beyond angry. "Is there… something you need…? I'm trying… to focus…" She asked darkly.

"N-no! A-absolutely n-not! S-sorry for disturbing you, p-please enjoy the match!" Tenya stuttered out.

"O… K… thank… you…" Ochako then turned her attention back to the ongoing match.

"…She seems really nice… but… she has a nasty jealousy streak, nya." Tsuchimikado commented.

"B-be quiet! Don't set her off more!" Tenya warned. The match continued, and Izuku was now doing continuous front flips now.

'You got to be kidding me… my body is already getting worn out… was her plan just to mess with me until I got so exhausted that I'd give up or something…!?' Izuku thought.

"And now for our grand finale! Do a big backflip, and end with the splits!" Misaki ordered.

"What!? No! Come on! I can't do that, I've tried!" Izuku shouted.

"Oh? You have?" Misaki asked.

"Yes! So trust me, I know that I can't do it! And you know I can't, because you can read my mind! So please, stop it already!" Izuku shouted in fear of what would happen next.

"Aw… maybe onee-sama has been too hard on Midoriya-chan's body…" Misaki said as Izuku's body stopped moving. He still didn't have control, but it had paused. "Come now, give onee-sama a hug… she will make it all better!"

"Wait… what?" Izuku spoke as his body started to move again, walking toward Misaki. She pulled Izuku close and wrapped her arms around him, giving the impression of an affectionate embrace; her arms practically forced his head into a spot right in-between her rather large breasts, cradling him in a seemingly loving fashion. 'T-this is…!' Izuku's mind was suddenly blank.

Ochako went even further down the rabbit hole. Her body had started to twitch on its own; anger seemingly seethed from her form as a dark aura enveloped her body. Her hands were formed into tight fists that shook as she watched.

Tenya had retreated to the other side of the room at this point, as did several others.

"N-nya! S-she's getting worse Iida-chan!" Tsuchimikado called out.

"Yeah, make the scary lady go away!" Aogami whined.

"G-get off of me!" Tenya shouted. "And you're not actually scared of her right now, you liar!" Tenya pointed accusingly at Aogami.

"Eh, was worth a shot." Aogami shrugged with a smile.

"I don't know what the big deal is…" Kirishima commented. "Is she honestly that worried about Midoriya? If that's the case, I'll go cheer her up!" Kirishima said, starting to walk over to Ochako.

"Kirishima, no!" Tenya shouted in vain; his attempt to save him was too late.

"Hey Uraraka! If you're worried about Midoriya, don't be! Because-" Kirishima was interrupted when Ochako suddenly grabbed ahold of his head and smashed it cheek-first into the glass. The glass wobbled, but did not break; apparently it was reinforced.

"Sorry…" She said in a dark tone. "I don't… know what came over me…" She then let go of his head.

"N-no problem… ugh…" Kirishima then slid down onto the floor. Tenya and Tsuchimikado quickly snuck in and pulled Kirishima to safety.

"H-how is he!? Is he ok!?" Tenya asked in a panic.

"Out cold but otherwise fine… that'll… probably bruise though…" Tsuchimikado replied. They then looked on in terror.

How long was this going to last!?

"Now, feel all better?" Misaki asked. Izuku's words were muffled. "Well now that is settled, I need you to do one more thing for me, and then I'll release you from my Mental Out!" She then leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Walk twenty paces towards the edge of the ring, and then face me. After doing so, smile, and then jump backwards out of bounds."

Izuku panicked as his body began to do as it was commanded. He couldn't even speak anymore. His entire body was under her full control. "Come on body…! Stop it! Knock it off!' He desperately tried to wrest control from Misaki, but his efforts were in vain. There were only ten paces left. He tried everything to stimulate some kind of reaction. He felt like he was going crazy; he couldn't stand it. His brain, what little control of it he had left, raged against the walls of his mind.

Suddenly, something broke. He saw the images of various people he didn't recognize all around him. It was very similar to what happened during the sports festival.

Izuku reached twenty paces exactly, right on the edge of the ring, and turned around. He smiled towards Misaki, who smiled back. Izuku bent his legs to jump, but his brow furrowed, and before Misaki could react, Izuku moved.

" **One for All Full Cowl!"** Izuku shouted, suddenly glowing. He them leaped forward the full twenty paces and kicked the remote out of Misaki's hands, sending it into the air. **"Shoot Style!"**

'W-when did he…!' Misaki spun around, trying to catch a glimpse of Izuku. '…He broke out of my control…!'

"Sorry!" Izuku shouted, before suddenly tackling and hoisting Misaki over his shoulder. He kept apologizing profusely as he ran at full speed with Full Cowl active, and then tossed her out of the ring; trying to get everything done before she could have an opportunity to take over his mind again.

"Ow… my butt!" Misaki whined. Izuku panted, then reached up and caught something; it was her remote.

"I… believe this is yours, right?" Izuku breathed out. He was still exhausted form all the running Misaki made him do.

"You throw a girl out, and then offer her a present? You're the bold one, aren't you?" Misaki questioned with a noticeable pout.

"H-hey! You've been reading my mind this entire time, and you forced me to do a bunch of weird stuff! I think that's more than a bit ruder than me just throwing you!" Izuku shot back. Misaki laughed.

"Maybe." She answered, standing up and taking her remote back. "You know… if only the position wasn't filled… you'd do a good job at being my prince~"

"I-I'm sorry, what?" Izuku asked, blushing.

"Nothing you have to worry about… truth be told, I only signed up because of Misaka-san~" Misaki answered. "Have fun, onee-sama will be watching~"

"And that was the seventh match! Midoriya Izuku is the winner!"

 **-Later, waiting room-**

"Hey… I'm back…" Izuku said as he entered the waiting room, only to see Ochako still staring out the window… and Tenya, Tsuchimikado, and Kirishima huddled together in fear. "…What are you three doing?" He walked over in front of one of the couches to get their attention.

"N-nothing, Midoriya!" Tenya answered in a panicked voice.

"Y-yeah! H-how are you Midoriya!? D-did you enjoy your fight!?" Kirishima asked.

"…How could I enjoy something like that?" Izuku answered. Ochako stopped twitching. "Sure, she seems to be nice outside of the ring, but inside it? She read my mind and invaded my personal memories… and then took over my body and used it against my will… how could I enjoy something like that? It felt like she could just erase my mind at any time; I hated it. Mental attacks are the worst…" He made a disgruntled face. "Nothing against her, but still… I didn't enjoy it…"

"…Deku." Ochako called out, catching Izuku's attention. She turned toward him to reveal herself to be crying and her face flushed red. "I-I'm so glad you're ok…!"

"Eh? S-sure, I'm fi- whoa!" Izuku cried out in surprise when Ochako abruptly hugged him. It was so quick that he lost balance and they both fell onto the couch that he was standing in front of, as Ochako hugged him tightly and cried into his chest.

"I-I was just… s-so…!" Ochako choked up. Izuku blushed, and figured it best to return her hug.

"Y-you were that worried…? I'm sorry…" Izuku apologized, rubbing her back.

"…Do you… do you think we should… tell him?" Kirishima whispered.

"…Midoriya-chan isn't the flirty type. I think… and also hope that he will never have to see that side of her…" Tsuchimikado replied.

"…I don't want to see that side of her again either…" Tenya added. All three nodded.

The speaker above the room clicked on once again.

It was time for the final match of round one.

 **-Arena Field-**

"And here we go folks, the very last fight of the first round! Who here is excited!?" The announcer called out, and the crowd answered with a mighty roar. "First, we have Todoroki Shouto, son of the legendary hero Endeavor! And on the other hand, we have Academy City's own Ace of Tokiwadai, Misaka Mikoto! Two famous people squaring off!"

The two in question didn't speak, preferring to keep silent, staring each other down. It would appear that there would be no back and forth before this match.

"Whenever you are ready… begin!"

Mikoto reached into a pocket in her skirt and pulled out an arcade coin. She flipped it in to the air, and at the same time, Shouto placed his right hand on the ground. Almost instantly, a series of giant walls of ice started to burst form the ground, traveling towards Mikoto. It didn't last for long. The arcade coin fell into Mikoto's out-stretched fingers and the moment it did, shot off like a cannon. It looked more like a beam of energy, crashing into and destroying the entirety of Shouto's ice walls, the shockwave pushing Shouto back. Shards of ice slammed into the arena wall just as the arcade coin did, cracking the reinforced wall with the impact.

This was her trademark move; her Railgun. The ability to fire metallic objects at three times the speed of sound by forming parallel currents on both sides of her arm with her electricity. Even something as small as an arcade coin suddenly becomes a force of absolute devastation, able to piece buildings with the shot and destroy them with the shockwave alone.

Shouto moved to the side to change his position, and suddenly the left half of his body burst into flames, and he then aimed his left arm toward Mikoto and a massive wave of fire burst forth, racing across the arena floor toward Mikoto. A large surge of electricity formed in Mikoto's right hand, it sparked in nearly every single direction, and she then thrust her right hand forward, discharging a massive wave of electrical power, appearing more like a spear head than anything else.

The two blasts collided, and seemingly because of the massive power behind each assault, they canceled each other out. Shouto used his ice abilities to make a wall of ice below him, propelling himself through the air, and launched another fire attack, which propelled him backward. Mikoto canceled it out with another electric based attack. When Shouto landed, a bolt of electricity erupted from Mikoto's brow, traveling along the ground, scorching it as it traveled towards its target.

Another wall of ice erupted from the ground to block it, and at the same, a thick layer of ice started to build up on the arena floor, coating it in ice. Mikoto stomped the ground, discharging electric energy all around her, keeping the ice at bay. Electricity also shot out towards the ground outside the ring, seemingly seeping into it. Suddenly, large amounts of black iron sand rose form the ground; it appeared that the electricity has magnetized the iron naturally in the dirt and Mikoto could now use it as a weapon.

Shouto rolled from the side of the ice wall and threw a sharpened shard of ice towards Mikoto, but the massive amount of iron sand blocked the attack. A wave of electricity surged forth and Shouto was forced to block it with a blast of fire. Around the electric attack, iron sand surged forth like a tidal wave, engulfing everything it came across, tearing it apart.

Just as he would be engulfed by the iron sand himself, he swung his right arm into it purposefully. The iron sand froze almost immediately, stopping it in its tracks. But the assault was not over. A second railgun blast ripped through the frozen iron sand. The attack did not hit Shouto directly, but the shockwave alone blasted him back, flying out of bounds of the ring. He gripped a piece of ice tightly in his right hand and used it as a base to send ice-downward, forming a tower of ice, to keep him in the air and safe from a ring-out.

However, with the ice destroyed, the iron sand was free. It flew up from the back of the ice tower Shouto had created and slammed into him from above, shattering the ice tower and smashing him into the ground for a ring-out.

"Not much of a verbal back and forth, but look at that action! The tactical calculations of these two are absolutely astonishing! They matched each other's attacks blow for blow until the very end, thinking of new ways to assault the other on the fly! Misaka Mikoto is our winner, but let's hear a round of applause for both of these tactical geniuses!" The crowd responded in kind, cheering in celebration, chanting both participants' names. Shouto slowly got to his feet as Mikoto jumped down from the ring, offering a hand to the downed hero in training.

"You're ok, right?" Mikoto asked. Shouto silently took her hand and got to his feet. "You are really good… never fought anyone who used ice or frost abilities before. It feels like you're really not used to those fire attacks though."

"Yeah." Shouto answered. "I only seriously started using fire in combat recently. I still have a long way to go with it."

"Keep practicing, you're a hero in training, right?" Mikoto asked. "If you can balance things out with that, I'm sure you'll be really strong. Fire and ice together can be really devastating." Mikoto smiled. Shouto smiled back.

"And that is all eight matches of round one! Let's have all of our contestants come on out, and lets show them that we appreciate their effort!" The announcer shouted. The waiting room emptied itself as those who decided to remain for the end of the round walked out, being greeted by applause and cheers.

"Man… and this is just day one?" Touma sighed. "I was honestly hoping I would be done with this…"

"You can't surrender now." Katsuki stated. "I won't let you."

"Huh…?" Touma asked.

"You beat me, and I'm not going to accept you surrendering for convenience after that!" Katsuki shouted. "If you give up, after whoever the hell breaks your legs, I'll blow off your arms! Got that!?"

"…Such misfortune…" Touma lamented. Katsuki seemed to take this as acceptance of the terms for the competition.

"I wonder if everyone from class who didn't come is watching…?" Izuku asked.

"Possibly. Though my performance wasn't exactly a good way to start…" Fumikage replied.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up man!" Kirishima put an arm around Fumikage. "I lost too; complete miss-matches! Besides, we're still just in training; we have a long ways to go!"

"True words indeed, nya!" Tsuchimikado suddenly joined the conversation. "We're all just a bunch of snot-nosed kids here! Everyone here a long ways to go, not just in our abilities, but both physically and mentally!"

"And that physically part is really interesting when you consider that Misaki-chan is only in middle school! Think how much more she will blossom when she enters high-school! And adult-hood!" Aogami joined in as well. All three of the heroes in training started to turn red.

"…I don't want to have this conversation anymore." Izuku said, fighting his own blush and moving forward.

"Nya! But Ochako-chan is a rather full-figured girl herself! Imagine her when she really fills-out by the end of high-school!" Tsuchimikado replied.

"Boobs will only get bigger and hips will get wider! It's only a matter of time!" Aogami added.

"I said I don't want to have this conversation!" Izuku turned and yelled, turning noticeably redder. The three heroes in training hurried ahead, leaving the duo behind.

"Hah… kids are fun to mess with." Aogami said. Suddenly both Aogami and Tsuchimikado's arms were grabbed and twisted behind their backs painfully.

"It's rude to talk about people behind their backs… you know?" Ochako held both of them.

"Indeed! Your perverted-power is impressive though to be thinking that far ahead though!" Misaki chimed in cheerfully. "An A for effort… but I think you both know what happens next!"

"Kami-yan! Help us out, nya!" Tsuchimikado called out.

"Both of you did this to yourselves!" Touma shouted back. Eventually all sixteen participants gathered in the remains of the partially frozen and partially burnt ring.

"Alright, eight matches down, and now it's time to decide the next four!" The announcer said. And like before, the screen displayed the brackets, also displaying winners and losers. "Just as a thing I would like to mention, even if you lost, if you want to chill with your team-mates in the waiting area, you are more than welcome! And now let's see who is fighting who!" The names appeared on the brackets and started to randomize. One match at a time, it displayed the competition for the next day's matches.

Match one was Kamijou Touma versus Iida Tenya.

Match two was Misaka Mikoto versus Yaoyorozu Momo.

Match three was Midoriya Izuku versus Sogiita Gunha.

And match four, the final match of round two, was Uraraka Ochako versus Accelerator.

And, with the matches decided, round one was officially complete.

With the prospective future granted by the coming days being their guidance, groups separated as they went to enjoy the rest of their day. This relaxation was more than welcome, they would soon discover.

The darkness grew, and a threat festered in the darkness and unknown of Academy City.


	8. Gregory Augustine

**And now the serious plot begins...**

* * *

"Well… this is some bad luck…" Ochako pouted. The group of heroes in training had retired to their hotel rooms. The rooms were near the top floor in a circular fashion, each room giving a great view of the surrounding districts. It was all connected via a large common-room in-between them all. "Out of them all, I get stuck with Accelerator…"

"You're telling me…" Momo sighed. "Misaka was good enough to over-power Todoroki… I can make things that resist electricity, but she has much more than just that… it's going to be an uphill battle…"

"It feels like we all have tough battles ahead…" Tenya commented.

"Kamijou has a really good combat sense, but his right arm ability only works upon contact. Working around that would be best. The biggest obstacle would be the fact that he is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat." Izuku suddenly spoke, writing things down in one of his notebooks. "Misaka's abilities all use electrical manipulation to preform her feats, finding a way to outright disrupt her control or ability to emit electricity would be an effective strategy."

"…Huh? What is he doing…?" Momo asked, leaning back in her seat.

"It would appear he is devising strategies for your opponents… he must be thinking out loud." Fumikage commented.

"Sogiita's abilities have a max range of ten meters. His attacks are explosive, but require hitting its target to work it would appear. His high durability, apparent regeneration capability and outright high pain tolerance would make the best strategy to force a ring-out situation…" Izuku continued talking as he wrote.

"What… about Accelerator?" Tenya carefully asked. Izuku paused.

"Accelerator… Accelerator…!" Izuku grunted, closing his eyes trying to think. He apparently started to strain himself as his face started to flush red as he clenched his eyes and mouth shut.

"H-hey! N-no need to strain yourself that much Deku!" Ochako rubbed Izuku's back, and he then sighed, letting his breath out.

"I only have a theory for Accelerator unfortunately…" Izuku commented, and then blushed red when he noticed Ochako was rubbing his back. Ochako then noticed that she had started rubbing his back in the first place and pulled her hand back, also blushing; it would appear she acted on reflex alone. Several people sighed.

"Still…" Tenya started. "A theory is a place to start. We will be able to collect information tomorrow on whether it will work or not."

"Well… I think it has to do with the vector values that he alters with his ability." Izuku leaned back. "A vector is simply a force magnitude and a direction combined. Twenty pounds of force downward would be a vector, for example. I think… it's not that his ability gives him the vector values for him to alter at his will; I think he actually calculates the various factors taken into account when it comes to the force it will have, the direction, possibly even the time when it will arrive within an area he can alter it."

"…He must be able to process and preform high-difficulty physics calculations then. And to do so in his head well enough to deflect a two-sided attack… he must be absurdly intelligent…" Fumikage said.

"But what does that mean? How can we use that…?" Tenya questioned.

"Well… if by some means his calculations are wrong, I think one of two will happen…" Izuku scratched his head. "One option is that possibly the vector change will erroneously alter the vector, causing unexpected outcomes when attempting to change the direction and magnitude…"

"Or…?"

"It's either that or, at least I think, his Vector Change will fail entirely, letting whatever is flying at him about to hit do so with impunity." Izuku finished.

"So… if your theory is correct, either Vector Change will erroneously alter vectors, or fail to work entirely… but how do we use that…" Tenya said.

"…I see." Ochako said simply, she stood up with a smile. "I got it! Thank you Deku!"

"N-no problem!" Izuku blushed red again, but smiled back. It would seem that Ochako had an idea on how to get around Accelerator's vector change. Only time would tell if it would work.

"Woah… holy crap… guys you might want to get a look at this!" Kirishima called out from his room. They started to gather around the window Kirishima was referring to, watching it. A short while after, Aizawa returned to the hotel floor himself and went looking for everyone.

"What's going on here?" Aizawa asked simply.

"There's some kind of massive fire in the distance." Tenya answered. Smoke rose from a faraway area, seemingly several districts away. It appeared to be spreading.

"…If I remember correctly, that's close to district ten…" Aizawa commented. "According to my information, that's where the city's prisons, nuclear energy research facilities, and the only cemetery are located… all the way on the other side of the city… I'm surprised we can see it."

"Nuclear energy… do you think the city's nuclear reserves are under threat?" Shouto asked.

"Doubtful; it would seem it's just outside the district itself…" Aizawa replied. "Though I wonder what caused it… if I had the guess it'd be right on the border of district seven and ten… or at least very close…"

Suddenly there was a large boom, and a stream of golden fire could be seen rising into the night sky. This was followed by a discharge of orange, in other words normal, fire enveloping the section, and more smoke rose into the air.

There was no mistake; this one was definitely inside district ten.

"Golden fire..! That looks just like one of that villain's attacks!" Izuku shouted.

"Gregory Augustine…" Iida said. His face turned from suspicion to shock. "S-sensei! The villain Gregory Augustine has the ability to generate and fire off large quantities of golden fire! It is possible that his target may be those nuclear reserves!?"

"…Orange flames are also in the area." Ochako added. "Kamijou said another hero was after him, do you think they have found each other…?"

"…Hero or not they are still fighting against each other right next to nuclear plants and testing facilities. If those get caught in the crossfire, a lot more than district ten will go up in flames." Aizawa said.

"A nuclear detonation would wipe out Academy City… and probably a large piece of Tokyo because of the proximity…" Fumikage commented. Aizawa pulled his special goggles on over his eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Getting across the city will be difficult, but I'm sure I can get there in time." Aizawa turned to leave. "Stay here, I'll alert the authorities as to what's going on." Aizawa ran out of the room, seemingly to find a quick exit so he could make his way over to district ten.

"…I just had a bad thought." Izuku said. "Aizawa's ability works on quirks for sure, but… do you think it will work on an esper ability…?"

"By his name, the villain is more than likely English in culture… but there have been rumblings about gemstones; people born with esper abilities from the start, similar to quirks…" Tenya answered. "Supposedly, Sogiita Gunha himself is one such gemstone."

"Damn it… sensei…!" Izuku looked out the window in worry. Katsuki suddenly approached the window and forced it open. It was a big drop down, but it the window itself appeared large enough for a person to get through.

"Hey… Deku." Katsuki called out. "If you were to see the guy, you'd know who he was, right? The golden fire guy?"

"Yeah… I think so…" Izuku answered. Katsuki suddenly grabbed Izuku by his collar and stepped onto the windowsill. "H-hey! Wait Kacchan!"

"Bakugou! Don't!" Tenya shouted. Katsuki jumped out the window, dragging Izuku with him against his will. Just as they were fifty feet from the ground, Katsuki triggered an explosion below them, canceling out their downward momentum and propelling themselves forward in the air. Katsuki continued this at regular intervals, when they would start to descend, he triggered another explosion to keep themselves air-borne as well as move quickly.

"Oh I get it… this is a good idea Kacchan!" Izuku called out.

"Shut up! You're just going to tell me who the guy is! The idea of showing up Aizawa and saving the city sounds like a good prospect!" Katsuki shouted back, continuing his pattern to keep in the air.

 **-District Ten-**

He ran. Occasionally he would be confronted with the red-haired mage dressed in a black cloak, and they would fight for a moment, but the first chance he had he would flee. This is not the time to stand his ground. No, it was time to make it to his target as quickly as possible.

Prometheus' teleport was powerful indeed, but it had its limits. Firstly, it had a five second cooldown, preventing its use until it was over. Secondly, although he could teleport others with him, he could only teleport people with him one at a time. At his command, Gregory ordered Prometheus to take Pandora to the cemetery with the Necronomicon and prepare the ritual, and then to come back for him.

Sadly, the Necessarius mage Stiyl Magnus had found him first, forcing him to flee. Now all he could do was make his way there on foot. So he ran. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. After several turns, Gregory found himself in a narrow two-lane street. He stopped for a moment, leaning on a wall for support.

"Is… he gone…? Have I lost him?" Gregory asked himself. He heard no footsteps. He heard no crackle of flames. Nothing.

For a time, not a noise was made; aside that which Gregory himself had created.

"Excellent…" Gregory smiled. He started to make his way down the road. "If he is gone, then hopefully I can use this opportunity. With any luck, Prometheus will find me on his way back, but in any case, I am in the clear!"

Suddenly, an explosion was heard behind him. It was in the far distance, but he could still hear it. It was completely different from Stiyl's own magical assault. A short while later however, he heard it again, this time much closer, and still behind him. He started to run. The explosions came again, louder and louder, until suddenly, it sounded like it was over-head. Something crashed in front of him, landing with a heavy thud. Gregory slid to a stop.

It was two boys, one with blond hair, the other black with a green tint. The blond was holding the other by the collar.

"There, you fucking happy now!?" Katsuki shouted.

"I-I was just saying we needed to catch our bearings so we know where we're going!" Izuku shouted.

"What are… you doing here…!?" Gregory asked in a tense tone.

"Huh… who the hell…?" Katsuki asked, turning to face Gregory. He released Izuku's collar.

"Hey… Kacchan! That's the guy! Gregory Augustine!" Izuku shouted, getting up.

"Why… why must you interfere with my work yet again…?" Gregory asked. "You may think my intentions are villainous but I assure you they are pure! You see the corruption around you, right? Homeless in the streets, entire cities dominated by organized criminals, vandals and so many more impure souls roaming the streets in droves, doing as they wish regardless of who they harm. Surely you see what I see, right!? I have the answer to it all!" Gregory placed a hand on his chest and spoke. "My master, he will arrive very soon! With his powerful magic, we can rid the word of these atrocities once and for all! The sins of humankind purged from our very souls! Please, I beseech thee! Heed my words! This world will crumble, and only the fire of my master's soul can save it! Let me pass!"

"Magic…?" Izuku questioned.

"Yes! Magic! Surely you recall my flames yes? It is proof of my magic! The magic of the millennial phoenix! My master; he is the phoenix's physical form, incarnate in the flesh of man!" Gregory continued. "The flames of the millennial phoenix can burn away all injustice, sin, and whatever misfortune befalls the human race! You must believe me!"

"This guy… is out of his mind." Katsuki cracked his knuckles.

"B-be careful Kacchan…!" Izuku warned.

"…I see… you believe me to be crazy as well…" Gregory took a step back, preparing something in his right hand while his other gripped his staff. "Then I am truly sorry, but you must burn as well! **Millennial Gusto!"** A large wave of golden flames erupted from his right hand and raced down the street, aiming straight for the duo.

"Don't mess with me!" Katsuki threw his hands forward when the wave of fire got close and unleashed a massive explosion, blasting the flames apart. "That better not be all you got, you bastard! I'm going to blow you to pieces you son of a bitch!"

"Such power… but I will not be deterred! You will fall before my phoenix's golden flames, regardless of whatever magic you wield!" Gregory shouted back.

"No, he won't. This is the end of the line for you, Gregory Augustine." A voice came from a tall male a fair distance behind Gregory. He wore a large black cloak that covered most of his body, had bright red but straight hair that went down to his shoulders, and was smoking a cigarette. The most notable features were several ear-piercings, and a bar-code tattooed below his right eye.

"S-Stiyl Magnus…!?" Gregory choked out.

"Stiyl…? That's… the name of the hero Kamijou mentioned… The one who was after Gregory in the first place!" Izuku stated.

"You don't say…!" Katsuki punched a fist into an open palm, triggering an explosion. "So I'll be showing up Aizawa and that Kamijou fucker, perfect!"

"How do you know Kamijou Touma…?" Stiyl asked.

"Curse it all…! At a time like this…!" Gregory looked between the two. He was stuck with no options for escape.

Suddenly a figure dropped down from the sky. He had the mood to his back and was descending down on both Izuku and Katsuki. They both stepped back but the figure attacked with a long-reaching scythe, it cut through Katsuki's shirt, drawing blood, but just narrowly missed Izuku.

"Well damn… only a little bit of taste… my friend here won't be satisfied with just that!" The figure landed and then stood, revealing it to be Prometheus. The small amount of blood he drew glistened in the moonlight.

"P-Prometheus…!" Gregory chocked out. "Your timing is impeccable!"

"Yeah well… saw you having a party over here Greg. Thought they were going to start getting rough with you… so I figured I'd step in!" Prometheus responded. Gregory was about to shout at Prometheus about his name, but the opportunity to do so would never arrive.

"Ash to ash... dust to dust..." Stiyl chanted, two flames appearing in both of his out-stretched hands. **"...Squeamish Bloody Rood!"** The flamed erupted with intensity as he thrusts his arms downward, unleashing an X-shaped wave of flames forward, appearing more like crossed blades than actual fire.

" **Millennial Gusto!"** Gregory unleashed a mass of golden flames at the attack coming at him. The two flames collided and exploded, spreading fire everywhere. "Prometheus!" Gregory signaled.

"Right… the time for talking has passed…" Prometheus' red eyes started to glow, as did the scythe blade he wielded. "Now, my friend, we must **rampage!"** Prometheus charged forward with surprising speed, shifting last minute to move toward Katsuki. Prometheus swung, but Katsuki thrust his hands forward, unleashing a large explosion. When it faded however, Prometheus was gone.

"The hell!? Where the fuck did you go!?" Katsuki shouted. Prometheus had appeared behind Katsuki and was aiming to swing again.

" **5% Detroit Smash!"** Izuku suddenly rushed with Full Cowl active and punched Prometheus across the face, sending him flying back. Prometheus grinded to a halt by stabbing his scythe into the ground.

"Not… a bad right hook there, kid." Prometheus commented, whipping some blood from his lip.

"Deku, stay the fuck out of this! I don't need your fucking help!" Katsuki shouted.

"Let's see about that!" Prometheus spun and threw his scythe towards Katsuki; it tore through the air like a saw-blade. Katsuki moved to the side to dodge it but to his surprise, Prometheus appeared in the air, catching it, and proceeding to bring it down on top of Katsuki. He lifted his right hand up and unleashed an explosion in retaliation, his hand meeting the scythe before he did so. Prometheus was launched back, doing a flip in the air and landing on his feet. Other than a cut on his hand from the scythe, Katsuki was unharmed.

"Alright alright alright, I'll give credit where it's due; you two kiddies aren't half bad." Prometheus swung his scythe blade to the side to rid it of blood. "Not as good as me, but not half bad. Guess that fancy-dancy hero program isn't too bad at churning out some skilled folks…"

'He knows about us…' Izuku thought.

"Oh yeah!? Let's dance some more, I haven't had enough!" Katsuki made small explosions in his hands in anticipation.

"You see… you, I like." Prometheus laughed. "Greg, what are the chances of us being able to waste these guys and make it back to Pandora?"

"If time were on our side, I would gladly encourage elimination, unfortunately, we don't have that." Gregory replied. "This magician is clearly is not working alone; we need to make it back to the operation area before they discover her and the book."

"You mean the cemetery, correct…?" Stiyl stated.

"How did you…!?" Gregory's face filled with both confusion and rage.

"You seem to misunderstand. It's not that I went looking for you and happened to find you; this isn't a right place at the right time situation." Stiyl explained. "I found traces of your mana, and followed it back to that location. I was there before your associates arrived… I just used some runes to hide my presence and waited to make my move. The information you provided about your plan was very valuable…"

"From the very beginning… you are indeed quiet cunning, Stiyl Magnus…" Gregory commented.

"Kacchan… I'm starting to get really confused… what's with all this stuff about magic and mana…? And what do these guys want with a cemetery…?" Izuku asked.

"No fucking clue…" Katsuki replied.

"Hey! I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but you better keep your hands off of Pandora, you fucking hear me!?" Prometheus suddenly shouted, turning towards Stiyl.

"Not possible." Stiyl held up an open cell-phone. "My associates are already on their way there."

"You son of a bitch…!" Prometheus for the first time looked angry, turning his body fully towards Stiyl, his eyes and scythe glowing brighter.

"Pay attention dip-shit! Your opponent is me!" Katsuki leaped forward open palmed, attempting to slam it down onto Prometheus. He teleported however, dodging the attack, and re-appearing right behind Gregory.

"Hey, I don't know what the plan is, but we are leaving! Pandora is in trouble!" Prometheus shouted.

"Agreed, take us there as quickly as possible." Gregory replied. Prometheus put a hand on Gregory's back.

"You won't get away!" Izuku suddenly rushed the duo with Full Cowl, charging full speed, leaping at the last minute to tackle them both. However, he was too late; they vanished and he went soaring, even passed Stiyl, before hitting the ground.

"Doesn't matter… there's only one place they are going to go." Stiyl discarded his cigarette and replaced it with a new one. He then started to type away on his cellphone, preparing to make a call.

"Damn…" Izuku rolled onto his back, and saw a face he was really hoping he wouldn't.

"…Midoriya, I recall telling everyone to stay in the hotel…" Aizawa stood above Izuku, with his hands in his pockets.

"A-Aizawa s-sensei!" Izuku stuttered out. "I-it wasn't my f-fault! Kacchan just pulled me out with him and-"

"Quiet. I saw you two flying over here." Aizawa replied.

"Y-yes sir!" Izuku stuttered out, practically praying for forgiveness. Katsuki crossed his arms and clicked his teeth.

"Now… if you want a chance for me to go easy on you both… I'd appreciate an explanation…" Aizawa said.

"Damn it all…" Stiyl spoke out loud, hanging up his phone. "Those two aren't there yet… I'll have to make it there quickly before they can perform their ritual and escape..."

"Where, exactly? And more importantly, who are you? And… what's a fourteen-year old doing smoking?" Aizawa called out to Stiyl.

'He's only 14 years old!?' Both Katsuki and Izuku thought to themselves, commenting on Stiyl's unusual stature.

"None of your business." Stiyl replied. "All three of you are butting into business that doesn't concern you. Now if you excuse me, I need to capture those two. Hopefully I can rendezvous with my two associates before they can be ambushed…"

"…You mentioned two associates." Izuku sat up. "Is one of those two people you keep referring to Kamijou Touma?"

'Kamijou…?' Aizawa thought. He remembered what he and All Might had discussed earlier about Touma's apparent involvement in World War Three.

"…You're his friend?" Stiyl asked, clicking his teeth. "Please don't tell me he called you out here to help him? A loner like that usually wouldn't bring people into conflicts like this."

"No, he didn't." Izuku stood up. "I don't know what you mean by a loner, but if he's in trouble…"

"…Fine. You want to help him then?" Stiyl asked. "You know where the cemetery is, right?"

"I studied the city lay-out. So yes I do." Aizawa replied. "How about an explanation on what's going on before I start to get irritated…?" Stiyl took out his cigarette and blew out some smoke.

"I'll explain on the way… I hope you all are prepared to step through the gates of hell."


	9. Trap Factory

**Now things start getting a bit more serious...**

* * *

"Pandora!" Prometheus shouted the moment he and Gregory had arrived in the cemetery. Prometheus took off running, looking for his sister. He ran deep into the land of the dead searching, before coming across what looked like a chapel in the center. He pulled the doors open, shouting his sister's name.

"Hello brother." Pandora simply answered. She stood within a magical circle at the altar, holding the Necronomicon. "You appear distressed, is everything alright?"

"Oh thank god… whew!" Prometheus sighed in relief. "For a minute there I thought things were going to get really bad…" Pandora cocked her head to the side.

"Really bad? What is wrong?" Pandora asked simply.

"We've been found out." Gregory entered the chapel next. "A church in a place like this… it must be used almost exclusively for funerals…"

"Greetings Gregory." Pandora promptly bowed. "The ritual is set to your specifications."

"Yeah, that's nice, but we've been had." Prometheus stated. "People are on their way here to try and stop us, the hell do we do now?"

"We proceed forward as planned." Gregory responded. "They have not only figured out where we are, but our plan. They know we have the Necronomicon and intend to use it to summon the souls of the dead to use them to revive my master. After tonight, it would be nearly impossible to infiltrate and perform the ritual here." Gregory walked into the magical circle and Pandora left it. "For this, it is either tonight or not at all. If we fail, our attempts will be in vain."

"Neat…" Prometheus responded. "So… then what's the plan?"

"…You both are capable of combat, correct?" Gregory asked.

"No shit. I've been saving your ass all week." Prometheus replied.

"Yes I am." Pandora replied. Three segments of a staff flew from various places on her person and combined together, lengthening out into a full staff.

"Then I will conduct the ritual myself. I will need you both to defend me; do not let a single person into this building…" Gregory said. "…Though, an escape plan I do not have… we can only teleport two at a time, not three. More over… it is possible that this excursion may not yield the amount of souls I require; I can only call forth souls of those tormented in death; unsatisfied with their lives… we take many risks here to do so without an escape…"

" **Spatial Recall."** Pandora said, tapping her staff on the ground. "I set up a return point back at our original location." A large blue magic circle appeared below her. "At my word, this circle shall open, and when we are assembled, we will vanish and reappear at the starting location, regardless of distance."

"Emergency technique just in case I'm in a bind and can't save her." Prometheus added. "We will need a new hide-out afterward, but it'd be a good strategy to dupe them."

"Then it is settled!" Gregory clapped his hands together. "You will defend me, and when the ritual is complete, I shall make fire burst from the ceiling! That will be your signal to return to me! When we are together, we will use your Spatial Recall to escape! Brilliant!"

"Thank you, Gregory." Pandora bowed. Prometheus snickered a little.

"Now, to your positions! The incursion is incoming!" Gregory tapped his staff against the ground.

 **-District 10; a fair distance away from the Cemetery-**

"And you expect me to believe your story…?" Aizawa asked. The group consisting of him, Stiyl, Izuku, and Katsuki ran down the street, attempting to make it to the cemetery as quickly as possible. "I'll buy the notion that Midoriya and Bakugou should stay with us just in case this Gregory Augustine has more allies waiting in the shadows, but do you honestly expect me to believe your story about magic and reviving the dead?"

"Not at all." Stiyl replied. "Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter at this time. You will see your proof soon enough."

"Could try fucking proving it right now, you know!" Katsuki shouted.

"Prove what? You'd merely assume I have a fire-based quirk or esper ability in an attempt to accuse me of lying." Stiyl replied. "Besides, we don't have the time for me to give a proper introduction, time is of the essence."

"Magic or not… Gregory is going to do something sinister, right? It doesn't matter if magic is real or not, we have to stop him!" Izuku shouted.

"…Your words are not wrong, Midoriya." Aizawa replied. "For now, we must put our suspicions aside. Save the rest of the explanations and proofs for later."

"Good to see that we have come to terms then." Stiyl stated. The group quickened their pace, until they reached the front of the cemetery's entrance. They saw two males standing out in front of it, appearing as though they themselves had just arrived themselves, they turned to face the group.

"Hey Stiyl, what's with the grou-" Touma started, and suddenly stopped when he noticed Izuku and Katsuki. "W-what are you do doing here!? What did you do Stiyl!?"

"It looks like we got ourselves a raid-party, nya!" Tsuchimikado stated.

"We could ask you the same question you son of a bitch!" Katsuki shouted back.

"S-sorry Kamijou!" Izuku apologized.

"I knew you'd be familiar with him… but not this familiar…" Stiyl sighed. "These two had a conflict with Gregory. This man appears to be their instructor, who was on his way to deal with Gregory himself."

"Shouta Aizawa." Aizawa confirmed his name. "Pro Hero: Eraser Head."

"Huh… a pro hero… didn't expect to be getting this kind of support." Touma said, scratching the back of his head.

"And I didn't expect to be giving it…" Aizawa replied.

"They have a full explanation. Including magic, before you ask." Stiyl stated.

"After I worked so hard to cover everything up… even after Tsuchimikado used magic on Iida!" Touma shouted.

"Y-you're a magician too?" Izuku asked.

"Hehe! Guilty!" Tsuchimikado said rubbing his head. "Sorry for using potentially fatal magic on your friend Tenya-kun, nya!"

"P-potentially fatal!?" Izuku stuttered out.

"We will discuss this later!" Stiyl shouted, attempting to silence the group. "Now, do we have any additional information?"

"No, sadly, other than a confirmation that our friend Gregory is inside the cemetery, we got nothing. We just got here." Tsuchimikado explained. "Magical power is going crazy near the center; he's probably using the chapel as a kind of fortification to slow us down."

"Then we will just have to burn it to the ground." Stiyl said. With that, the group made their way into the rather large cemetery. It was dark; far darker than the well-lit streets of Academy City. The electric lamps in the area along the path were off, apparently sabotaged. The clouds had moved over the moon as they filled the sky, blocking out even the stars.

If it wasn't for the faint street lights and Stiyl's cigarette, it would be complete and total darkness. A fog started to roll in, and as they moved, the could have sworn that they heard faint footsteps and whispering.

"W-why did they have to come to a cemetery… and at night no less… and the fog is not helping…!" Izuku said.

"What's wrong? Scared?" Katsuki mocked.

"N-no! It's just-"

"Both of you, quiet!" Stiyl whispered. "We don't know where they might be looking, and giving away our position is a very bad idea! Keep your voice down!" Stiyl finished. "The sounds you're hearing… it's probably the Necronomicon."

"Yeah… the sounds and whispers you hear are the thoughts and the memories of the dead, given a voice and echo by the book's presence… don't worry, they can't hurt you, nya." Tsuchimikado added.

"O-ok then…!" Izuku answered. They continued for a time before suddenly the sound of something spinning rapidly could be heard, which was rapidly approaching.

"Get down!" Aizawa shouted and the group scattered, diving for whatever direction popped into their minds. A familiar looking scythe flew over them, just barely missing them all. If they hadn't taken notice and moved out of the way, the scythe would have sliced their legs in half at the knees. The scythe vanished into a fog without a trace.

"Well… it's going to be really fucking difficult to figure out who just did that…" Katsuki commented.

Before anyone could comment, a large number of arrows, made out of ice, started to fire off at them from all directions. The assailant hidden by the fog, all they could do was rapidly scatter and move to dodge the oncoming attacks. Just as quickly as it started, the assault stopped.

"Damn it… I'm sick and tired of this!" Katsuki shouted, cracking his knuckles.

"You and me both." Stiyl replied, forming fire in his hands. Katsuki triggered a large explosion in front of him as Stiyl unleashed a fire spell in a different direction, also causing an explosion. The two forces completely missed whoever what was assailing them, but did successfully clear the area of most of the fog. No one else was visible.

"Is everyone alright?" Aizawa called out. The group gathered again, searching for whoever had attacked them. As the fog cleared, it was quickly revealed that they were only about three yards away from the chapel they were searching for. As the approached it, a figure dropped down from a tall point of the chapel; it was Prometheus. His scythe in question was draped over his shoulders.

"Well, long time no see!" Prometheus laughed.

"Seems like you're a glutton for punishment, you smug bastard!" Katsuki grinned.

"Look who's talking! Let's see you deal with both of us!" Prometheus grinned back.

"Both of you…?" Izuku questioned. A blast of yellow electricity erupted form the top of the chapel. It was massive, easily large enough to wipe out the entire group. Touma leaped forward and held up his right hand; the electricity crashing into it. The electricity wrestled with Touma's right hand for a time, but shortly after making contact, a shattering sound was heard as the electric blast suddenly vanished into nothing.

"Too close…!" Touma sighed, his right hand steaming from the confrontation. Slowly, a secondary figure floated down from the top of the chapel. It was a girl they didn't recognize, teal hair and red eyes, wielding a large golden staff. She held it behind her as she floated gracefully to the ground, landing next to Prometheus.

"Brother." The girl spoke. "The black-haired one appears to be able to nullify my magic."

"I see! Well, that's more than just a tad bit rude, isn't it, Pandora?" Prometheus answered.

"Keep him away from me, brother." Pandora answered. "It will be bad if he can completely nullify me."

"Aye sir! I'm just glad we can fight together again…" Prometheus replied. "I feel so much stronger when I'm with you!" Prometheus' eyes started to glow again, this time much brighter, along with his scythe blade. He pulled back his left hand; a deep crimson flame rose from it, and the thrust forward, unleashing a powerful wave of crimson flames.

"The hell…!?" Stiyl commented, unleashing his own fire attack to meet Prometheus'. The two clashing and exploding the moment they met. "This Prometheus is an esper… how is he capable of using magic!?"

"Someone who is an esper… isn't supposed to be able to use magic…?" Izuku questioned.

"It's a long story; let's just say you're talking to the only exception to the rule, nya!" Tsuchimikado replied.

"We will just have to sort this out later then." Aizawa commented, pulling his goggles over his eyes.

"Aizawa-sensei, I don't think your Quirk will work on them…!" Izuku warned.

"I have more than just that up my sleeve." Aizawa answered.

"Brother… be careful." Pandora said.

"Aye, you too, Pandora. Just call for me if you're in trouble." Prometheus replied, lifting his scythe over his shoulders and into both of his hands, preparing for battle.

"Tsuchimikado…" Stiyl called out. "Red Spell. If they won't let us pass, we will just destroy the chapel and Gregory Augustine along with it."

"Blowing up churches, eh?" Tsuchimikado replied. "I guess when the stakes are high enough, destruction of religious sites is allowed, nya. You just better do a good job protecting me… and carrying me away afterward."

"Right…" Stiyl replied.

"I don't know what you mean… but I'll do my best to protect you!" Izuku stated.

"If all you need is that building demolished, you could have just fucking asked!" Katsuki shouted, bursting forward in a full speed run. Tsuchimikado smirked and ran back, towards the street, a fair distance away before stopping and turning towards the chapel, seemingly preparing some kind of magic.

"Come on big guy! Let's **Rampage!"** Prometheus charged forward himself. Katsuki thrust an explosive attack toward Prometheus, but he vanished at the very last second, appearing in the air behind him, aiming to slice off Katsuki's head. Aizawa leaped into the air next to Prometheus and spin-kicked him cross the face, knocking him into the ground and skidding through several graves.

"I can handle this one. The rest of you should take care of the girl!" Aizawa ordered. 'I don't know what this Red Spell is, but it seems that protecting Tsuchimikado is top priority.' He thought to himself.

"Like hell! I'm going to blow this fucker to pieces!" Katsuki shouted, running after the skidding Prometheus. He grinded to a halt only to see Katsuki charging at him. Prometheus unleashed another powerful fire spell, to which Katsuki's response to was to blow it to bits with his hands.

"I guess she's left to us then… such misfortune…" Touma commented, turning to face Pandora.

" **Dragon."** Pandora stated. She waved her staff around in a circle as ice started to form rapidly into an elongated dragon head, which was even capable of roaring. Shortly after its creation it charged forward, hell-bent on devouring the remaining three who stood against it. Touma leaped forward, smashing his right hand into the monster's jaw; his Imagine Breaker causing the beast to shatter almost instantly.

 **"Squeamish Bloody Rood!"** Stiyl fired a prepared spell forward, the X-shaped blast of fire racing toward Pandora in retaliation for her assault. Pandora aimed the tip of her staff towards Stiyl and a blast of yellow electricity fired from it, smashing into the fire spell, the two canceling out. Using the clash as cover, Izuku rushed forward using Full Cowl, shifting into a spin-kick when he got next to Pandora, who blocked using her staff. Despite the kick's strength due to One for All, the staff did not shatter, and Pandora only flew backward unharmed.

" **Knight."** Pandora uttered. At her command a large over-sized suit of knight's armor formed and animated, drawing its sword and lifting its shield. The knight charged toward Izuku, preparing to swing it's blade down on top of him.

" **5% Detroit Smash!"** Izuku shouted, slamming his fist into the knight's shield. The knight shattered like glass from the force, but Izuku was blasted by a surge of electricity from Pandora, launching him backward.

"I do not appreciate you destroying my servants." Pandora stated. She flew into the air and flipped; Touma had rushed her attempting to strike her. Pandora fired a blast of electricity but Touma quickly turned and thrust his right hand forward, blocking it. Stiyl fired a blast of fire at her from behind, but Pandora crated a wall of ice to block the attack and escape.

Pandora was proving to not only be powerful, but difficult to attack. Prometheus was proving to be the same.

"Come on come on come on!" Prometheus shouted. "I'm not excited enough yet!" He flipped his scythe upside-down so the blade tip was aimed at the ground, then he swung the scythe upward, unleashing a wave of white energy forward towards Katsuki. He blocked the attack by forcefully dispersing it with an explosion the charged ahead, just narrowly missing with his attack due to Prometheus' teleport.

When he re-appeared, he found himself suddenly entangled in the various clothes around Aizawa's neck. He spun Prometheus around and slammed him into the ground, putting a foot on his back to pin him. However, Prometheus teleported out of his binds and appears behind Aizawa, kicking him in the side. Prometheus grinned wide, but it was cut-short when Aizawa suddenly turned and kicked him across the face, launching him a fair distance before he flipped in the air and landed.

"You know… you two aren't bad… not bad at all!" Prometheus taunted. His body tensed up, and suddenly his body started turning red as the crimson fire erupted from the ground around him. "Let my anger become my torch! Let my desire to kill become my blade! Let my pain become my power! **Berserker Seal: OVERDRIVE!"** Prometheus shouted as the aura around him intensified along with the flames. His hair seemed to stand on end.

"Let's go! I'm just getting warmed up! So much to kill… so much to pillage! This is what I live for! Carnage!" Prometheus charged ahead, leaping into the air and bringing his scythe blade down on top of Aizawa. He leaped to the side quickly to dodge; the scythe slammed into the earth below and seemed to outright split it in half, displaying a massive increase in strength.

"I don't know what the fuck you're screaming about, but you should be focusing on me!" Katsuki rushed Prometheus and slammed an open palm into his face, and then triggered an explosion to launch him. Mysteriously, Prometheus did not teleport and took the blast head on, flying through the air as a result. He landed on his back, and started to laugh.

"That's right…! That's right! Show me more!" Prometheus spoke through his laughter as he got to his feet. "Ninja man, explosion boy, you both are exquisite! Give me more! Give me the reason for my existence!" Prometheus was indeed injured by the sudden attack, but his apparent increase in strength and speed has not dwindled; if anything it has only gotten stronger.

"We are dealing with a real monster…" Aizawa commented. Katsuki clicked his teeth.

"Man, monster, whatever the hell he is, it doesn't really matter, does it?" Katsuki grinned. He seemed to be enjoying the combat more than one would like to admit.

Not everyone was enjoying combat like he was, however.

"Damn… we just can't get our hands on her." Izuku said.

"It's useless. Give up." Pandora stated simply, firing another intense blast of electricity. Touma moved in front of him to block the attack.

"Stiyl… we need a backup plan!" Touma shouted. Stiyl appeared to be chanting but stopped when Touma called his name.

"I've been preparing one." Stiyl lifted up his hand and from his sleeve; seemingly hundreds of cards with a pentagram on them flew into the air. They spread out far and wide, all over the cemetery. He then resumed his chant. "…Be manifested and become the power that eats into my body! **Innocentius!"** At his word, right in front of him, what sounded like an explosion could be heard. Flames shot out with reckless abandon, and a roar sounded. The flames converged and formed into a flaming giant that towered over everyone in the graveyard.

"W-what the hell is that thing!?" Izuku stuttered out.

"A Pope level spell. Innocentius! Destroy her!" Stiyl commanded. At his word, the massive fire monster ran forward, practically crackling with laugher as it did so.

" **Knights!** Defend me!" Pandora shouted, waving her staff. Three knights of ice spawned and then charged toward the large flaming beast.

Innocentius is a beast that burns at 3000 degrees Celsius. Ice would melt and vaporize almost instantly upon reaching him. Enchanted ice would fare better, but would not last long.

But this didn't matter; Innocentius' strength along was enough to shatter all three knights with one swing of its mighty arms.

A cross of white hot flames formed in Innocentius' hand and it swung it down onto Pandora. She channeled a blast of electricity and fired a constant burst of it at the cross to stall it. She then ramped up the power threefold to eliminate the beast entirely.

However, it failed. No matter how much she increased her blast's intensity, Innocentius would only be pushed back, never destroyed, not even so much as injured.

"What is this thing…? To resist my power so much…" Pandora asked, effectively only able to hold the beast at bay.

"Innocentius has no knowledge of damage." Stiyl answered. "It is a creature incapable of feeling pain, nor is it able to be harmed or destroyed. Go ahead, unleash your most powerful magic; let out all of your aggression before it burns you to ash so you can rest in peace."

That event would not come to pass. Touma rushed Pandora from her left side and smashed his right hand into Pandora's left cheek. A shattering sound was heard as the impact launched her into the air.

Prometheus' strength suddenly left him. His body returned to normal, and suddenly began coughing up blood. He narrowly managed to dodge an attack by Katsuki and looked across to see Pandora soaring into the air.

"Pandora, no!" Prometheus shouted, suddenly vanishing from Katsuki and Aizawa's sight. Izuku was getting ready to follow-up and Touma's attack when he was suddenly shoulder-checked by Prometheus, knocking him aside. Prometheus then caught the soaring Pandora in the air, and teleported a fair distance away.

"Brother… you didn't need to… I would have been fine…!" She said as Prometheus set her down.

"I felt that, you know? When that guy hit you… are you ok?" Prometheus asked.

"…It appears our link has been forcefully severed. It must have happened when he struck me…" Pandora replied. "I see… his ability to dispel magic must be automatic… with his right hand."

"Alright… alright yeah, that must be it." Prometheus replied, stepping in front of Pandora. "Alright, round two you pieces of shit!"

"Brother, you can't! It will take time to re-establish the link!" Pandora protested.

"Then I'll fight without it! No one hurts my big sister and gets away with it!" Prometheus shouted.

Suddenly, a mass of golden flames erupted from the roof-top of the chapel. It caught everyone's attention.

"The signal…!" Prometheus stated.

"Signal?" Stiyl questioned.

"Heh… guess we win the fight anyway." Prometheus smirked. He reached back and Pandora grabbed his arm and they vanished without a trace.

"…Tsuchimikado, please tell me it's ready!" Stiyl shouted.

"Almost… it just hurts a bit…!" Tsuchimikado replied slowly. Izuku looked back at him and was horrified. Tsuchimikado was blooding profusely form his eyes, his ears. Several parts of his body looked like pieces had outright exploded off of him. He also seemed to be outright overflowing with some kind of power.

"Holy shit… the fuck happened to him!?" Katsuki questioned. "Those fuckers were fighting us the whole damn time! When did they get through to do that to him!?"

"They didn't." Stiyl answered. "Pay close attention, this is what's supposed to happen when an Esper attempts to use magic."

"Heh… guess I make a good example huh!?" Tsuchimikado grinned through the pain. He resumed building up power and his chant. "…Using thy God to replace the nail! **Shikigami Pistol!"** The overflowing power erupted and shot into the sky. At the same time, Tsuchimikado coughed up a large amount of blood and fell forward, face first.

"Tsuchimikado!" Izuku shouted, running toward him, kneeling beside him. "What… what did he just do!?"

"Just watch." Stiyl replied. Izuku looked up at a bright light that was descending from the sky. The light was the energy that Tsuchimikado had just unleashed. It crashed into the chapel, easily engulfing it, before violently exploding, reducing the entire building to rubble, leaving behind a sizeable crater.

The battle was over. But the war was not.

As much as they searched the remains of the chapel, there were no signs at all of Prometheus, Pandora, or Gregory Augustine.


	10. Day Two

**Ten Chapters in, and we're still going strong! I hope you all like the direction this story is going!**

* * *

It was a hard sell to try and say that the three people they were after had escaped.

"Even after an attack like that, there would still be parts of them scattered around at the bare minimum…" Stiyl stated, shifting through some of the rubble. "Not a single piece of them. Not even as much as a charred body… they must have had an escape plan right from the start…"

"You got to be fucking kidding me." Katsuki grunted. "How the hell did they manage that?"

"That teleporter, Prometheus, is a possibility. Or if for some reason he couldn't, that girl named Pandora could have used some kind of spell. I can tell by the residual mana in the area a spell was cast prior to Tsuchimikado's Shikigami Pistol struck the building…" Stiyl blew out some smoke and rubbed his head. "This is a giant mess. First that esper casts magic without consequence, now they have a secondary escape option… pain in my ass."

"…Hey, what happened to Tsuchimikado…?" Izuku questioned. Tsuchimikado was currently bandaged up nearby, resting. "Why did that happen to him…? Why can't an esper use magic?"

"…Magic by itself roots from the simple fact that 'those without talent' wanted to be able to do the same things as 'those with talent.' To put it simply, an Esper has talent, and a Magician does not." Stiyl replied. "An esper has the talent to create power, and magic was borne out of desire to emulate such, so they gave birth to a ceremony and practice they called magic; that's the basics. An important thing to remember is that magic requires preparation otherwise it can easily backfire. Espers were previously only born, and only really rose up in numbers when Academy City started its Power-Development curriculum."

"But that doesn't explain what happened…" Izuku replied.

"…Magic and esper abilities have completely different and incompatible formats for their abilities." Stiyl spoke once more. "They conflict and rage against each other, regardless of proficiency and power for either one. It causes the blood vessels in the body to rupture in the chaos. What you saw happen to Tsuchimikado is what happens when an esper attempts to preform magic. If it wasn't for his regeneration ability, he would have died a very long time go." Stiyl finished.

"So… he can use it himself, because he can heal from it. Makes sense." Aizawa replied. "Doesn't explain why this Prometheus could suddenly avoid the rules… although…" Aizawa trailed off.

"What is it?" Stiyl turned to face him.

"…Kamijou's right arm nullifies all supernatural phenomena." Aizawa mused out loud. "It appeared that when he struck the girl named Pandora with his right hand, Prometheus' magic ended and it at least seemed like he started to suffer the negative effects you described when an esper attempts magic."

"That's more than a little unusual…" Stiyl commented. "I will have to look into what could have caused it. It would appear that our friends have found a loop-hole of sorts, and it's tied around that girl Pandora…"

"That was a good nap, nya…" Tsuchimikado leaned up stretching. "Whew, I'm all bandaged up. Not a bad job either… hey Stiyl! Did it work?"

"No, they escaped." Stiyl replied. Tsuchimikado shrugged.

"So I nearly killed myself for fun then, oh well." Tsuchimikado stood up, appearing to be fully healed. "Looks like we're going to have to report this."

"As much as I hate to admit it… no one is going to like this. They very well may have gotten what they were after in addition to their escape." Stiyl added.

"This is going to make some folks across the pond very unhappy, nya…" Tsuchimikado sighed. "Oh well, not much we can do now."

"…So does that mean I can go home then? I have to try to get some sleep… considering someone conned me into a tournament I don't want to go to…"

"…Think of it as a good way to score points with the girls you keep raising flags with via being famous, nya!" Tsuchimikado replied.

"I don't want to hear stuff like that from you!" Touma shouted.

"So I guess we're done then… it's up to the proper authorities from here on in." Aizawa commented.

"I would strongly recommend staying out of this. Let us handle it." Stiyl replied.

"Very well, consider our acceptance of your advice as an olive branch from the society of heroes to the society of magic. Hopefully the next time we meet it will be under much more pleasant terms." Aizawa replied. "Guess that just leaves one order of business left…"

"Huh? There is something else?" Izuku asked.

"You and Katsuki's punishment for disobeying me of course." Aizawa replied.

"Oh crap! I forgot about that…!" Izuku started to panic as Katsuki clicked his teeth in frustration.

"Hey, you can give them a break, right?" Touma asked. "They didn't do anything wrong."

"There are set rules and regulations that dictate what a person with a Quirk can and cannot do. These two have been rather defiant of those rules as of late. You expect me to just give them a pass because their hearts were in the right place and broke the rules anyway? Give me a break." Aizawa replied.

"Sometimes people have to do something they shouldn't, even if their own mind is screaming not to, and even if society itself says no. That's how we live and evolve; by challenging limitations placed on us." Touma replied.

"Oh? And is that how you found yourself here tonight?" Aizawa asked. "I could arrest all three of you for acting as a vigilante, you know; you should keep that in mind before you start questioning my methods."

"Look, I'm no hero; I'm not trying to be. I'm not going to be the first person to lead an assault on the alien spaceship that arrives to destroy the world." Touma started. "…But are you honestly going to stand there and tell me that these two have to hang back and let their friends get attacked, hurt, or worse, without some kind of magical piece of paper saying that they can help? If you are, heroism as an art might as well be dead."

Aizawa narrowed his eyes, focusing on Touma.

'My threat didn't influence him at all… those must be his true honest feelings then…' Aizawa thought, contemplating his next move. After a short time, Aizawa turned around and started to walk away. "Come on, let's go. Especially you Midoriya; you have a competition to get ready for."

"B-but what… about our punishment…?" Izuku asked slowly, somewhat regretting bringing up. Aizawa waved him off.

"I'd recommend taking a moment to thank Kamijou." Is all Aizawa said in response as the groups parted ways, each one heading off into the night.

 **-Unknown Location-**

"It worked… it worked!" Gregory shouted in joy.

"So, you got all the souls you need to revive the dead man, yeah?" Prometheus sat across from Gregory as Pandora prepared some kind of magic circle around him where he sat. "Sounds peachy, so why don't you revive him already?"

"When the time is right I will!" Gregory replied. "The ritual dictates that in the twilight between night and morning, in the darkest room of the tallest tower in the land, a proper sacrifice shall light the torch and the Fire-Borne Ritual can commence."

"I see… tallest tower… one of those big corporate buildings can probably do." Prometheus commented. "Getting in won't be easy, but I'm sure we can figure something out for you, Greg ol' boy!"

"I am so absolutely enthralled; not even your intentional shortening and insult of my name can offend me!" Gregory replied. Prometheus laughed.

"That so?" Prometheus asked. "Well then, guess that means I'll have to work harder next time. Too bad I'm down and out for the rest of the night."

"Be still, brother." Pandora instructed. "Clear your mind so that yours and mine can join." She took a step back outside the circle.

"I see… so this is related to how you can bypass the limitation then… how does it work…?" Gregory asked.

"Sorry, company secret." Prometheus replied. "Can't go giving it out now, otherwise we will have a lot more competition. Call us old fashioned, but a monopoly is a really good way to make money! Heh!"

"Please, leave us be Gregory. We both need absolute focus." Pandora stated.

"…I suppose I should not intrude on the rituals of brothers and sisters." Gregory replied. "When you are finished, seek me out; I will not be far. We must use the daylight hours to locating the staging area." When Gregory was gone, Pandora started to speak.

"How much longer must we suffer under this tool, brother?" Pandora asked.

"Not much longer… we will use him until this city burns or until he dies; whichever happens first." Prometheus replied. "One way or another, this city is going to burn to the ground for what it did to me to make me like this…!"

"And then what?" Pandora asked. Prometheus stood up and approached his older sister, and gently brought his forehead against her own, affectionately.

"Then we will handle the ones who split us up in the first place. Then there will be no one left that can tear us apart. How does that sound?"

"…Brother…!" Pandora suddenly hugged her younger sibling. Prometheus returned the courtesy.

"Shh… it's ok… neither of us is going anywhere…"

 **-Next Day, Arena Field, Waiting Room-**

"Ugh… Index kept me up all night…" Touma lamented, appearing very tired.

"I'm guessing that's your roommate… Are you sure you're ok to compete then, Kamijou?" Izuku asked.

"Y-yeah… I just need to get woken up first." Touma replied.

"Kamijou!" Tenya suddenly arrived, shouting.

"N-not so loud! I'm right here, you know!" Touma replied. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I am honored to face you in combat today. Midoriya told us all about your exploits last night. Thank you for keeping my friends and colleagues safe!" Tenya then bowed out of respect.

"…You told them about what happened!?" Touma whispered to Izuku.

"I left out the stuff involving magic… and it was mostly Aizawa-sensei who did most of the talking, I just mentioned the extra stuff about you and Tsuchimikado." Izuku whispered back.

"Ok then…" Touma whispered, and then shifted attention back to Tenya. "It's honestly no problem at all! I'm just trying to help where I can!"

"But still, you helped Midoriya and Bakugou, you have my thanks!" Tenya remained in his bowing position.

"Hey Iida, I think you're being way too formal… Kamijou is kind of the laid-back type, you know?" Kirishima joined the conversation.

"Y-you think so?" Tenya leaned back rubbing the back of his head. "S-sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable…" He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"It's fine man, I get it. You're welcome." Touma replied.

"…So you didn't chicken out after all." Mikoto then joined the conversation herself. "Figured after those threats yesterday you would have ran away or something."

"…You do realize those threats yesterday were for if I did drop out right?" Touma commented.

"Oh, I do, but you should be concerned anyway; you could end up facing me in the semi-finals, you know, and I can do oh so much worse…" Mikoto added.

"For some reason I'm not worried, you'll have to forgive me, Biribiri-sama." Touma replied. This earned him an electric shock that he then blocked. "You really need to stop doing that!"

"Like it would even hurt you anyway! You always block my attacks anyway!" Mikoto shot back.

"Oh yeah? Then why should I be worried to fight you? Are you trying to show off for some boy or something?" Touma asked. Mikoto's face almost instantly lit up with a blush.

"N-no! It's just…" Mikoto trailed off.

"You should really just be yourself if you want to impress someone. Most guys are more interested in who a person is rather than who they act like. Just be yourself and honest with your feelings and I'm sure whoever you're thinking of will accept them." Touma added. This caused Mikoto to blush more.

"S-s-stop talking about e-embarrassing stuff!" Mikoto unleashed another shock. Touma blocked it, but Mikoto then started to walk away, her face still flushed.

"Geeze… what's her problem…?" Touma lamented. Izuku laughed a little bit. It was starting to become amusing to see how little Touma realizes his words and actions affect Mikoto emotionally.

The speakers above finally sounded. It was time for the first match of round two.

 **-Arena Field-**

"Are you sure you are ready, Kamijou?" Tenya stood across from Touma, holding his helmet in his hands. "I have no desire to harm you, but I will fight with the best of my ability."

"Well, I'm currently stuck in a situation where no matter what I do I'm going to get hurt, and I think your attacks will feel better than someone snapping my legs and then being exploded." Touma replied. Tenya smiled.

"I see. Very well." Tenya put on his helmet to complete his hero costume. "If things don't work out here, you should look into the U.A. I'm sure that after your exploits in this competition, they would make a special exception for you."

"Thanks, but I just help people out because I want to and happen to be around. I'm no hero." Touma replied.

"…That's where you're wrong, you idiot…" Mikoto said under her breath inside the waiting room. Izuku was just barely able to hear it. Her words left Izuku to wonder what happened between Mikoto and Kamijou prior to meeting them both.

"Is everyone ready!?" The announcer shouted. "Then let's begin round two!"

Tenya engaged his Engine almost immediately, bursting forward rapidly towards Touma. Tenya launched into the air and came back down with a drop-kick, but Touma moved out of the way almost immediately. Tenya quickly recovered and resumed running.

'I figured as much… a direct assault won't work against him… his reflexes are too good even for my speed.' Tenya thought. 'I'll have to think on my feet quickly then, and try to match his own reaction speed with everything I got!' He turned to face Touma and charged towards him again. Touma moved into Tenya's path instead of dodging and uppercut him, forcefully removing Tenya's metallic helmet and forcing Tenya back.

Suddenly, Tenya caught himself and delivered a punch into Touma's face.

"Huh…? Iida punched him…? But he specializes with kicks…" Kirishima commented.

"It's tactical. Kamijou has already figured out that Iida's specialty would be with his legs and movement, trying to dance around his target with his speed. So instead; he's switched up to brawling rather than hit and run tactics to throw Kamijou off guard." Ochako explained. "It's important in hand to hand combat to be not only efficient but unpredictable! You can't hit your target if they are always expecting your assault and can counter attack!"

"Y-you don't say…" Kirishima replied, somewhat amazed by Ochako's in-depth explanation.

"I see… in that case…" Izuku replied. "Thanks Uraraka, I think I can use that!"

"N-no problem Deku!" Ochako stuttered out. As they spoke, the fight raged in the arena.

The two went back and forth, blow for blow with their fists, until Tenya saw an opening and kicked Touma in the side, launching him across the arena.

'So I was right… his right hand ability only works on certain quirks, and moreover, only while making direct contact… my Engine won't be suddenly shut off by it.' Tenya thought. He rushed Touma quickly for a follow up, but Touma managed to recover far quicker then Tenya anticipated, and when Tenya punched forward, Touma grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder, smashing him into the ground below.

Touma wasn't done however, as he gripped Tenya's arm tight, he began to spin around and eventually threw him across the ring. Tenya grinded to a halt just in time to avoid a ring out.

'Even when he's reeling he's thinking of his next move. It's more than quick reflexes… how to counter the attack he is about to receive… if he should counter attack or wait it out for an opening…' Tenya thought, getting onto his feet. 'Kamijou… how many fights did you have to go through to get this good at hand to hand combat… I can only imagine what you have been through yourself…!'

"Hey, are you ok? You're kind of just standing there." Touma asked.

'…He hasn't even lost sight of who he's going up against, still treating me like a friend even though we're fighting… it's almost like it doesn't matter who is opponent is…! I have to…!' Tenya's thoughts trailed off as he decided to speak.

"Kamijou. I hope you're ready." Tenya answered. "I'm going to figure out what makes you tick!" Tenya burst forward full speed. He leapt into the air for a spin-kick into Touma's side. He locked the attack, and was forced back because of it. The moment Tenya touched the ground he burst again, charging Touma down, fiercely assaulting him with a variety of kicks, forcing Touma onto the defensive.

'Alright, he must be planning now. Think… where will he try and break my assault…!' Tenya thought as he stayed on offence. Eventually Tenya kicked Touma a fair distance away again and charged. This time Touma didn't put up his guard. 'There! I'll make sure that he will move to the left!' Tenya made it appear he was going to go for a forward tackle. Like he predicted Touma moved to the left in an attempt to dodge it.

Just as Touma moved, Tenya leaped, and went for a spin-kick, aimed in the direction Touma was moving so he'd hit him in his right side. However, Touma abruptly slammed the side of his right arm into Tenya's leg, forcing him off balance. During the confusion, Touma slipped into Tenya's guard and delivered a powerful punch straight down into his exposed face, using Tenya's own momentum against him for massive damage. Tenya flew backwards, landing on his back.

'He… he saw through me…!' Tenya looked shocked as he stood up. He had lost his glasses in the impact but the landed close to him. When he could see again, he could see Touma rubbing the part of his arm that he had used to hit his leg.

"Ouch…! Damn man! Whose bright idea was it to let contestants use metal armor… ow!" Touma complained.

"Where… in the world did you learn to fight like this?" Tenya asked, slowly getting to his feet. He wobbled a bit; that punch did more to him than he expected.

"Huh…? Well… I apparently have a tendency to bump into gang member's business when helping people… so I kind of had to learn on my feet to deal with that…" Touma answered. "I also went through some Judo too… plus I've been involved in a lot of incident for the past year…"

"Like last night?" Tenya asked.

"Yeah… though a few higher stakes ones than that." Touma replied.

"I see…" Tenya replied then started to think. 'So… he's been through a lot of combat… against a lot of people… with so many different people with possibly different backgrounds in fighting, it's no wonder how he's managed to develop a fighting style that can adapt to easily to his opponent…'

"So… are we going to keep going?" Touma asked. Tenya shook his head.

"No; I've seen all I've needed to." Tenya replied. "Announcer, I surrender. Call the match"

"The first match of round two ends in a surrender just like the first in round one! The winner is Kamijou Touma!" The crowd started to cheer as Tenya went to pick up his helmet, and Touma approached him.

"Hey, you don't need to surrender…" Touma said.

"It's fine, I think in the long run you would have found a way past my Engine quirk and use it against me, just like you did just now." Tenya replied. "But, if you want, you can consider me withdrawing a thank you for helping Midoriya and Bakugou. You won't hear a peep out of Bakugou though, so I figured it would be best for the class representative to do it on his behalf."

"Well… thanks I guess… though I think it helps us both so we don't get too badly hurt, your kicks pack a real punch!" Touma replied. Tenya smiled back, holding his helmet in his arms.

"I think you should reconsider my suggestion. Quirk or not, with your combat skills plus your Imagine Breaker, you could do some really great things with the right training." Tenya said. Touma sighed, but smiled back at him.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Kamijou Touma is no hero. Kamijou Touma is just guy who tries to help people out, and happens to have a really bad case of bad luck."


	11. Attack Crash

**This one starts off rough... but i think it makes up for it in the end. Enjoy**!

* * *

"Alright everyone, it is time for our second match for the day! Misaka Mikoto versus Yaoyorozu Momo! Pure electrical power against material creation at will!" The announcer shouted. "Seems like we are going to have a contest revolving around versatility in combat! This could be interesting…"

'Ok… remember… electrical power…' Momo thought to herself. 'Making something that resists electricity is my best bet right? But even with that… her railgun will rip though anything I make… not to mention if she magnetizes the iron sand again like she did against Todoroki, I'm done for… I'll have to think fast to figure out a way to disrupt her electric flow.'

Mikoto didn't speak. She didn't really need to. It was already clear what her goal was.

Kamijou Touma.

Momo herself was a tad confused about that person in particular. A lot of people seemed to be drawn to him, even her own teammates, and she really couldn't understand why. His fight with Bakugou Katsuki was impressive, sure, and apparently had some kind of involvement with the incidents involving the villain with golden fire, but otherwise the boy seemed unremarkable.

She was thoroughly confused as to why everyone held such a simple person with a simple ability in such high regard.

But now was not the time for mulling that over. She needed to focus on the person in front of her. She had a single idea, but it would need time to work. The key here was disrupting her electric control. If she couldn't, she had no chance to win.

"Alright… is everyone ready? Let's get started! Begin!" The Announcer shouted.

A wave of electricity erupted from Mikoto almost immediately. Momo had to dive to her right side in order to dodge it. It seemed more than apparent that Mikoto wasn't in the mood for a long match. Lightning seemed to chase Momo as she started to run.

'Darn it… it's not ready yet!' Momo thought. Her ability could create anything by turning her own body fat into the materials required, but larger objects needed much more time. While her plan brewed, all she could do was run.

The assault did not let up. Momo could already see iron sand starting to rise from the earth outside the ring, and mentally panicked. It was almost ready; she had no other choice but to risk it not being prepared in time. She turned toward Mikoto and started to run towards her. It was her only shot.

Mikoto smirked, and unleashed a spear of lightning straight toward Momo, forcing her to dodge to delay her approach. Momo continued, despite the assault, and after a short time, she arrived within five feet of Mikoto. Suddenly a very large tarp burst from Momo's back who then grabbed it and threw it over Mikoto. It was much heavier than expected and dropped quickly, and moreover, Mikoto's electricity didn't seem to affect it.

The exterior cloth was only a disguise; almost the entire interior of the tarp was made of thick but bendable rubber.

It hit Mikoto with enough weight to cause her to stumble, and before she could recover, Momo tackled her. Momo did everything she could to try and wrestle with Mikoto through the heavy tarp and cover her entire body, seeking to cut-off the electrical flow to disable her abilities. She saw some progress; the iron sand that was flying around rapidly had slowed drastically. Momo continued her efforts; if she could contain Mikoto, she could claim victory.

Her hopes however were dashed when a railgun blast fired off from within the tarp, aimed apparently for the east side of the arena. Whether Mikoto had purposefully aimed there or had fired it off in the struggle didn't matter; the shockwave alone was enough to launch Momo off while holding onto the heavy tarp.

Momo managed to recover from the shockwave, and was confident. It had almost worked, and she could use the tarp as a shield from her lightning; she could just push Mikoto out of the ring.

This thought was silenced when a patch of iron sand had wrapped around her leg, and lifted her up into the air. She was spun around and then released; flying out of the ring and into one of the arena walls. She slid down after the impact, the tarp landing a few feet in front of her.

Mikoto sat in the ring, panting heavily.

"Seriously… that was sneaky and effective but damn… hard to breath in that thing…" Mikoto said in-between breaths.

"And I was so close too…!" Momo lamented.

"We have ourselves a winner! Misaka Mikoto advances to the semi-finals!" The Announcer shouted, declaring the match's end.

 **-Waiting Room-**

"Hey… don't beat yourself up! You did great!" Izuku tried to comfort the depressed looking Momo.

"Doesn't really feel like it… first I let that pervert get into my head and now this…" Momo sighed.

"You can't beat yourself up about round one! You won your first match at least!" Kirishima stated.

"True, but still…" Momo trailed off. "…Least I didn't lose to that pervert; that would have been a lot more embarrassing…"

"Don't worry about it." Shouto suddenly spoke. "It's like Tokoyami said; we're fighting monsters of pure power. I lost my match as well, but losing doesn't matter that much; as long as we can stand back up after facing so much opposition, then I say we are doing exactly what we need to in this competition. We're showing the rest of the world that the next generation of heroes is more than prepared and capable of protecting them, even if we're defeated doing so."

"…Thanks." Momo smiled. "Thank you everyone for your support, I really needed it."

"No problem! We will always be there for each other!" Ochako chimed in.

"I felt that there was an abnormally low amount of guts in this room, but it appears you all have beaten me to the punch to correcting that!" Sogiita suddenly joined the discussion.

"Huh? Sogiita…?" Izuku questioned.

"Good job! I'm proud of you all!" Sogiita held out a thumbs-up.

"Thanks… but what are you doing over here…?" Tenya asked.

"Oh, to make sure my opponent is ready!" Sogiita answered. "My guts have been ready to go for a while now, I wouldn't want my opponent to suddenly get nervous and back out on me!"

'That's right… I'm fighting Sogiita next…' Izuku gulped. He hasn't given it much thought since Momo entered the ring. He had an idea on how to deal with Sogiita, but was more than a little shaky on its execution.

It was entirely dependent on how Izuku's One for All stacked up against Sogiita's Attack Crash.

Izuku appeared shaken, contemplating his next move. He suddenly blushed when he felt a feminine hand grasp his.

"Deku… don't worry. You can do it, I believe in you!" Ochako spoke to him. Izuku's blush intensified as he looked at Ochako, but shortly after he smiled, nodding confidently. Ochako returned the gesture; smiling back.

"Ah… confident words from your girlfriend can be motivating and reassuring I see! Once you were afraid but now you look like you could fight a true monster with her words guiding you alone! That's some real guts, I like it!" Sogiita commented.

"G-g-girlfriend!?" Both Ochako and Izuku shouted as their faces lit up like a pair of Christmas trees, separating from each other in the process and darting their gazes across the room, afraid to look at each other. Sogiita appeared confused. Before he could question it, the announcer came in overhead. It was time for the next match.

Midoriya Izuku versus Sogiita Gunha.

 **-Arena Field-**

"I'm sure we will see some sparks fly this match! In round one we saw Midoriya's speed, and we also saw Sogiita's power! Can these two match each other and overcome the challenges laid out before them!? Only time will tell!" The announcer spoke to a cheering crowd. As Izuku and Sogiita stared each other down, Ochako looked on from the waiting room.

Ochako sighed, she was worried. She had complete faith in Izuku's abilities, make no mistake. She has had complete confidence in him for quite some time.

But just because of that didn't mean she wanted him to get hurt. Amidst her thoughts however, she felt two hands wrap around her frame and felt two very large, very soft things pressing into her back.

"Hi hi Ochako-chan!" Misaki greeted playfully.

"S-Shokuhou!?" Ochako let out a surprised squeak. "W-what are you d-doing!?"

"You seemed like you were upset about Izuku-chan, so I figured I'd come help!" Misaki answered. Ochako's eye seemed to visibly twitch upon hearing Misaki say Izuku's name in such a familiar fashion.

"I-I'm fine!" Ochako answered. "Y-you don't have to worry about me!"

"Then why don't we watch him together, hmm? You seem to be really attached to him, after all!" Misaki asked. Ochako's eye twitched again.

"N-no, w-we don't need to, honestly!" Ochako didn't realize it yet, but she was trying really hard to keep her cool.

"Aww… well… how about…" Misaki trailed off in thought. "If we watch it together… and if Izuku-chan wins… I'll tell you something very personal about him?" Ochako's head visibly shook as her mood started to change.

"Why… why would I want to invade is privacy like that…?" Ochako questioned.

"Well… the thing I could tell you in particular… let's say you might have a bit of an interest in… especially as a girl like little ol' me, how about that for a reason?" Misaki answered playfully. Ochako's eyes darkened, like she was going to shift into her jealous side of her personality, but something suddenly clicked in her mind and she broke out into a beat-red blush.

Misaki could read minds. And more over, read memories. Which meant…

…Misaki could know the person who Izuku likes. And it very well could be her.

"Y-y-you're kidding, right!?" Ochako stuttered out, suddenly feeling very hot. "I-I could n-never invade his privacy just to k-know who h-he likes!" Ochako suddenly had difficulty speaking.

"Oh no... I never meant that… but now that you mention it…" Misaki trailed off again. Ochako in a suddenly covered Misaki's mouth with both of her hands, trying to look around and make sure no one was listening. "…This love-power of yours is quite strong, I must admit."

"I-It's not like that, I swear!" Ochako choked out, trying to keep her voice down. "It's… not like that… I don't want it to be…" She trailed off, looking down.

"Oho… I think I understand. Your brain-power just wants you to remain friends, the safe route, but your love-power wants oh so much more… it wants the dangerous and more rewarding adventure of romance… must be a difficult choice to make." Misaki stated.

"I… I can't… I…" Ochako's speech was getting worse. She had difficulty forming words with so many conflicting emotions going on and off in her heart.

"Well then… I guess I'll keep it to myself then." Misaki said.

"B-but you just…"

"Ah, so you want to know now? Maybe you want to see if it's someone else? Or rather, is your love-power gaining strength? I can only wonder..." Misaki said. It was a lie. How Ochako felt was clear as day to her, including the confliction in her emotions. "Then… I shall make you a deal!"

"A-a deal…?" Ochako choked out.

"If you can settle that raging storm in your heart… I shall tell you." Misaki replied. "But you should do it fast… before you know it, something magical you could have had could vanish without a trace." There was an odd seriousness in her voice as she finished her statement. Ochako didn't know what to think of it.

Before she could reply, the announcer began to speak again.

"Alright! Enough waiting! Match three, begin!" The Announcer shouted.

Izuku put up his guard, but just as he did so, Sogiita was already in his face, chambering a fist. Izuku crossed his arms in front of him just in time to block a powerful punch form Sogiita. Izuku flew backward, his feet grinding across the ground until he slowed to a stopping position. It hurt. It hurt a lot. That attack was like blocking a truck barreling down the highway.

But he stood strong, gritting his teeth all the while. Izuku shot forward, activating Full Cowl, and kicked Sogiita in the chin, sending him into the air. Sogiita looked down at Izuku, and chambered his fist again.

" **Amazing Punch!"** Sogiita threw his fist. Despite the fist being nowhere near him, a seemingly invisible force smashed into Izuku, hammering him into the ground and then exploding violently. Izuku leaped backward out of the smoke left behind, and Sogiita landed a few feet away from the explosion site itself.

The two charged toward each other, leaping over the hole left behind from the explosion, throwing a punch at one another.

The shockwave from the inevitable clash of fists ripped through the air, clearing all debris from the ring. Their fight continued blow for blow; each one assaulting with everything they had. Their attacks would meet until one found an opening in the others guard and smashed into it. As one would follow up that opening, the other would counter attack, and then the brawl would start anew.

It looked like an over-the top fight scene from a hard-core action anime. Each impact felt like an explosion of force erupting violently.

Izuku suddenly kicked Sogiita in the right side of his body, the follow through launching him across the ring. He then raced after, and unleashed a mighty torrent of blows into Sogiita's torso as they both traveled. Sogiita slammed his feet into the ground to stop his movement and grabbed both of Izuku's hands by the wrist, and used the opening to smash his forehead into Izuku's own, sending him reeling backward. Sogiita followed up with an Amazing Punch straight into Izuku's stomach, launching him, and exploding shortly after, launching him even farther. Izuku slammed his hands into the ground to slow himself, and eventually stopped just before the edge of the ring, panting.

Izuku was starting to get exhausted already. He had never had to use One for All this long in a fight before. And those hard-hitting blows were not helping his stamina out at all. Izuku gradually rose to his feet and put up his guard.

"You're not done yet, right?" Sogiita called out.

"No, I'm not! I'm not finished yet!" Izuku shouted back. Sogiita grinned.

"Good! Now show me some more of your guts!" Sogiita responded.

'Crap… this is bad…' Izuku thought to himself. 'It's just like I thought; in a straight up fight he can't lose... he's not even tired yet. If I could use 100% I could beat him…' His thoughts trailed off. '…I'll just have to focus on a ring-out situation.'

Sogiita charged forward with a fist, and Izuku dodged to the side and tried to kick Sogiita out of the ring due to the proximity, but he blocked the attack and punched Izuku to punish him for trying. His tactics were changing, focusing in luring Sogiita into exploitable positions and attempting to force a ring-out.

It was proving difficult. Sogiita could match not only his speed, but his reaction time. And by bringing Sogiita close to the edge of the ring, he was risking ring-out himself. The one saving grace he had was that Sogiita was significantly more focused on fighting rather than winning, and simply wanted to continue combat.

It continued for a short time with little to no progress. Sogiita could match every blow Izuku dealt, and could counter his moves; the grace of having an opening to attack near the ring's edge was not making its appearance it would seem.

'Damn it…' Izuku thought to himself, appearing conflicted and confused. 'I can't beat him in a straight fight… but I can't force a ring out either! He's too good for tactics like that!' Izuku closed his eyes, struggling to think. Sogiita appeared confused himself, seemingly trying to figure out why Izuku would not engage him directly anymore.

"Come on Deku… you can do it! I know you can… use everything you got!" Ochako cheered from inside the waiting room. Izuku's mind was a blank; he didn't know what to do next or what to try.

Suddenly he heard a commotion from the crowd behind him. He turned to look; All Might had seemingly ran to the edge of the audience seating and was standing just over the balcony. Izuku looked surprised, but All Might was simply smiling. He looked eager to watch. To see what Izuku could do.

Even if he had lost, all he wanted to see what Izuku do his best; to push his limits. Victory or defeat meant nothing. He silently smiled, awaiting Izuku's next move.

Even if it would be his last.

'…You know what? Forget it!' Izuku thought, turning back toward Sogiita. 'Forget worrying about if I get hurt! Forget the crowds watching me! Forget winning this stupid competition!' His mind raced. 'This is more than just a fight, more than just winning. It's about showing what I can do; what I am capable of! This is about… securing my future to be a hero!' Izuku stood in a stance, ready to burst forward at any moment. Sogiita smiled back.

"So, you're finally ready to show me what you've been hiding?" Sogiita asked.

"Yeah… sorry about the wait." Izuku answered. "This backfires on me really bad, so it's a big decision to use. Even if I win, I might not be able to participate after this."

"Victory for your team even if it means not being able to win the tournament yourself... I like it." Sogiita answered. "I will meet your strongest attack with my own! Now, show me your guts, Midoriya Izuku!"

They both charged each other full speed, chambering a fist. They leapt at each other and called out their techniques.

" **Super… Amazing Punch!"** Sogiita threw out his fist.

" **100%... Detroit Smash!"** Izuku threw out his.

The colliding forces met like rockets slamming into each in the sky. Their fists collided and the shockwave felt more like an explosion. Wind erupted in all directions, going through the crowd, blowing everything that wasn't nailed down away, leaving only the seats and the people behind.

"Deku…!" Ochako said quietly before suddenly running out of the waiting room, going towards the arena field. Her mind raced; all that she knew is that she had to make it to Izuku; make sure that he was safe.

She knew what happened when he used everything he had, after all. He saved her life by doing it during the hero exam.

Izuku coughed in the dust left behind from the clash. He was on his back, lying down uncomfortably. He slowly rose to a sitting position, and then slowly pushed himself up to his feet.

'Wait… my arm!?' Izuku panicked. His right arm was sore all right, pain had shot up throughout it, but he only noticed just now. And his arm still moved like normal, despite the pain; he had full control.

Sure, it hurt like hell, but his arm wasn't broken by using 100% of One for All.

He didn't know if it was because of the braces on his arms or if he had managed to hold back just enough to prevent the serious injury, but it didn't matter. Aside from some sore muscles, he was completely fine!

He looked around, checking for Sogiita. The center of the ring was replaced with a massive crater. He was just near the edge of the ring, any farther and he would have landed outside of it.

He looked forward as the dust settled, revealing Sogiita standing on the other side of the crater with his arms crossed.

"No way… ever after 100%...!?" Izuku panicked. There was no way he could still be standing, right!?

Sogiita wasn't unharmed, however. He had several bruises visible over his exposed parts of his body and through his now torn clothes. Strangely, he was still able to keep that jacket of his draped over his shoulders, despite everything that had happened. However, there was a very noticeable and large gash on his forehead, blood trickling down from it. However, Sogiita only smiled.

"Deku! Are you ok!?" Ochako called out as she reached the outer-ring.

"I-I'm fine, Uraraka!" Izuku replied, but it was a lie. He was still panicking. If Sogiita could withstand 100%, then…

"Midoriya Izuku." Sogiita said. "I will have to remember your name. You are strong. Very strong. I am sure that you will become a great hero someday."

"Sogiita…!" Izuku could only utter his name, still in shock.

"Now go out there into this giant world of ours! Show the world the very meaning of your guts!" Sogiita then held out one fist, as if he were to fist-bump someone. Then, abruptly fell backward onto his back, his arm falling down limp. Everything seemed to pause for a time, as if waiting. It became apparent how the match had ended.

By knock out, Midoriya Izuku had defeated Sogiita Gunha, the seventh ranked level 5.

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!" The announcer called out as the crowd erupted with cheering and applause. "Right down to the wire! Two manly souls enter, one leaves! Midoriya Izuku! You advance to the semi-final round!"

"I did it…?" Izuku asked himself, as if trying to figure out what he had just been told. "I did it!? I won!?" Izuku slowly broke out into a full smile. He had reached the point where he didn't even care, but not even that could mask his excitement.

"Way to go, Midoriya!" All Might called out. "That's my student everyone! Haha!" All Might laughed and applauded, taking several moments to whistle.

"Deku, you did it!" Ochako jumped up into the ring and abruptly hugged Izuku. He didn't even care; he returned the hug and spun her around, absolutely ecstatic with joy, reveling in the surprise of his own victory.

"Hehe… I wonder if she's made that decision or not…" Misaki mused openly.

"…So, that brat can stand up to a level 5 in a proper fight after all." Accelerator commented. "Interesting…" Accelerator was slightly intrigued. That ability was powerful to overcome the Attack Crash after all. The waiting room had similarly erupted in applause and cheers, just like the audience.

After a time, Izuku and Ochako left the arena field to make way.

There was one more match left in round two, after all.


	12. Accelerator

**I'm just going to leave this here... remember: There is always a method to the madness. Enjoy!**

* * *

Another delay in-between matches it would seem. The near complete destruction of the ring would yield such a requirement of course. The damage inflicted by Izuku and Sogiita's brawl was quite extensive.

Sogiita was carted away, mostly just to remove him from the arena. His wounds were already healing rapidly, and he would seemingly be in perfect condition by the time he would wake from his slumber.

Izuku returned to the waiting room with Ochako, and was greeted by tackled by Kirishima, said tackle just barely missing Ochako herself.

"You're a big man now aren't you!? Pounding on a level 5 like that!" Kirishima rubbed Izuku's head in a playful fashion. "You shouldn't scare us like that! We thought you were done for!"

"H-hey! I didn't mean to! Get off of me! And watch my arm, it's still sore!" Izuku replied.

"It's all good!" Kirishima replied, letting go and letting Izuku stand up, doing the same shortly after. "That was an amazing fight though! And when you two clashed in the final attack…! I could just feel the manly energy; I could barely contain myself from running out like Uraraka did!"

"Y-you think so?" Izuku rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I don't think much of it… I mean, I got excited when I won because I didn't think I was going to pull it off, but…"

"Are you kidding me?" Kirishima asked. "You heard those people out there, right? All of them were cheering for you man! You got them all super pumped up!"

"Even All Might came down to cheer you on in the end, Midoriya." Tenya added.

"W-well… I… Hahaha!" Izuku started to laugh nervously. "I-I just really don't know what to say!"

"You shouldn't let it go to your head." Fumikage stated. "…But you should take some pride in what you've accomplished. You're the only one not only to be able to best a level 5 esper, but do so twice. In this competition's standing, that is quite the feat of power."

"Yeah… I mean, Bakugou couldn't even beat a level 0…" Kirishima added.

"I heard that you little piece of shit!" Katsuki shouted. "You calling me weak or something!? I'll blow all of the level 5's away, all at once!"

"Sure sure, whatever you say…" Kirishima mocked, only seeking to anger Katsuki more. And it was working.

"If you're trying to pick a fight with me, you're making it a lot easier for me to consider blasting your ass into the deepest depths of hell!" Katsuki fired back.

"And away they go… honestly. That bad attitude of Bakugou's is just going to get him into trouble later..." Momo commented. "And it doesn't help that Kirishima knows which buttons to push to egg him on…"

"It's just how he is…" Izuku replied with a smile.

"Hi hi! Congratulations on your win, Izuku-chan!" Misaki called out from behind Ochako, who she was suddenly hugging from behind. Ochako looked rather uncomfortable "You're coolness power is really going up!"

"Thanks I guess?" Izuku replied. "You two sure have become friends quickly!"

"S-something like that!" Ochako replied.

"Hey, Shokuhou, what the hell are you doing showing support for the opposing side…?" Mikoto joined the conversation.

"Well… I'm already out of the competition… so I'm just rooting for the team you're not on!" Misaki replied. Mikoto seemed to spark angrily.

"Y-you can let me go n-now!" Ochako stuttered out.

"Aww, but I wanted to bond!" Misaki replied, then leaned in close and whispered into Ochako's ear. "And think of who else could do this to you? A nice affectionate cuddle, little bit of nuzzling into your neck… maybe he gets a little bit frisky when you're not expecting it…"

"Y-you're giving impure thoughts to this honest maiden, please stop!" Ochako whispered back, blushing red. Misaki seemed to giggle in response.

"Huh… wonder what their whispering about…" Izuku questioned out loud.

"Who knows…?" Kirishima responded.

"Better question: who cares?" Katsuki added. From across the room, Accelerator seemed to be occasionally watching the events unfold as he rested comfortably on one of the couches.

"Hey Accelerator!" Tsuchimikado suddenly popped over the side of the couch. "Watcha doin?"

"Why the fuck are you asking?" Accelerator replied. "Shouldn't you be off saving the day with that fucking hero?"

"Nah, saving is such a strong word for a guy like me, you know?" Tsuchimikado replied. "So… you're up next. Went from fighting first to last, must suck huh?"

"Like I care." Accelerator replied. "Honestly I wouldn't mind just throwing the match and going home. But that shitty brat wouldn't let me hear the end of it. Fucking Worst… telling her about this entire piece of shit competition…"

"Yeah… should have heard Maika when she found out I lost in the first round… went to bed hungry, nya." Tsuchimikado joked, but Accelerator didn't seem to care. "So… what are you going to do about your opponent then?"

"No idea. I got to keep it non-fatal for appearances, right?" Accelerator sat up. "Though I have to admit… wasn't exactly watching the matches after mine much. No idea what this bitch can do… guess I'll find out either way."

"Ah… lazy Accelerator is lazy! What would Last Order say, nya? I'm sure Worst would probably just join you in laziness, but she would still probably mock you about it anyway, nya." Tsuchimikado jokingly stated.

"Shut the fuck up if you value having a jaw." Accelerator threatened.

"Aye aye… as anti-social as always I see…" Tsuchimikado replied. He quickly ducked under when Accelerator suddenly reached up, as if trying to grab him. Tsuchimikado scuttled away before Accelerator could catch him.

Amidst the growing chaos, the speaker in the waiting room clicked on.

It was time for the final match of round two.

 **-Arena Field-**

"Huh… you sure look confident." Accelerator commented. "You saw the first match before, right? It's not too late to back out."

"Thanks, but I can't now!" Ochako cheerfully replied. "If I were to back out, that'd leave Deku all alone! So I'm going to give it everything I got! Even if you are the strongest Esper!" Ochako seemed pumped; excited.

'…The girl has an awful lot of spunk, that's for sure.' Accelerator replied. 'Too bad. She's come across a one way road that leads off of a cliff… eh, why the hell not? We will just launcher her out of the ring and be done with it.'

"We have reached the final match of round two! Another brave hero stands up to the mighty Accelerator. Can she defeat the strongest esper in Academy City!? There is only one way to find out… and the time is now! Begin!" The announcer shouted.

Ochako ran forward, charging at Accelerator. He narrowed his eyes, switching on the electrode on his neck, and clicking his teeth while doing so. She got in close and slid to a stop, and spun, aiming to deliver an upward kick to Accelerator's head.

Fear filled those who were watching and waiting, just to see what would happen.

They got their answer, as Ochako's leg collided with Accelerator's head, knocking him over to the side, causing him to roll as a result, ending up on his back. Ochako herself suddenly looked sick, but this faded after a short time. But she had done what most thought to be impossible.

Ochako had managed to damage Accelerator.

"I… I think I get it!" Izuku said from inside the waiting room. "She used her ability to nullify gravity, thus changing the value of the vector! Even if just a minor bit, gravity would have some kind of influence on a force vector's direction… so she used her ability on herself for a short time to take gravity out of the equation, throwing off Accelerator's calculations!"

"…So your theory is true then… if the actual values are different from what Accelerator calculates and attempts to execute… his ability will fail!" Fumikage replied. Izuku was still worried however.

Ochako's tactic would work, but only for so long. The moment Accelerator fully figured out how Ochako's ability worked, the match would be over.

Accelerator stared blankly into the sky for a time.

'Huh… she managed to hit me…' Accelerator seemed more surprised than angry. 'Taking her weight, shape of suit, and wind resistance into account… no… was it just a little bit faster? Was it a slightly different direction? I wonder…' Accelerator mused as he slowly got to his feet. His left cheek stung; that blow was definitely hard.

'I did it… it worked…!' Ochako mentally cheered. But she had to act quickly. She ran for Accelerator again, but this time, Accelerator stomped the ground, unleashing a shockwave all around him that blasted her back.

"Interesting…!" Accelerator's face broke out into an off-putting grin. "For some reason I can't be mad at that! Only seen my ability once, and you already found a way around it, huh!? Are you some kind of genius or something…?"

"N-no… N-not at all!" Ochako reflexively took a step back. She didn't even realize it, but terror seemed to fill her body as Accelerator spoke.

"Well! Let's see what you got anyway then! I want to see what makes you so special!" Accelerator literally flew forward. On reflex alone, Ochako's ability activated again and just before she could leave the ground, Accelerator was in her face, seeming reaching for her. Her nausea setting in quickly, she reflexively uppercut Accelerator, her tactic apparently still working as it passed through unaltered, sending Accelerator into the air.

He flipped in the air and came crashing back down with a kick, just narrowly missing Ochako, but the impact shockwave blasted her back. While moving, she deactivated her quirk and landed on her back, rolling but managed to transition into a kneeling stance, getting back onto her feet. Accelerator smashed his other foot into ground, kicking up debris, including a rather large and sharp chunk of concrete, which he then sent like a rocket towards Ochako.

Whether consciously, or on pure combat reflex alone, Ochako managed to catch the piece of concrete with a spin, activating her quirk on it, and hurled it back. Accelerator managed to dodge all but a small part of it, which again remained unaltered by Accelerator's Vector Change, and cut the right side of his cheek open as it grazed him with a sharp corner.

Ochako panted, but not really out of exhaustion. It almost seemed as if she was undergoing a massive panic attack, and her body was trying desperately to calm itself down.

"Not bad, not bad at all! That's an interesting ability you got there…!" Accelerator said. "Not just your hands, but things you touch seem to be able to bypass my AIM field... kind of odd. I've had someone get passed it by out-right negating it before… even someone pulling back just before they hit me to throw off the timing of reflection and causing it to fail… but I never thought something as simple as someone turning off gravity would be able to negatively affect me this much!"

"Y-you… figured it out…!?" Ochako fearfully asked.

"Figured it out the moment you kicked me across the face… figured it'd be a little bit more fun to see what you can do with it, and man… you're like a regular commando! Combat training and physical endurance is able to do a lot huh!? You really are strong for a girl!" Accelerator replied. "But… I've grown bored of that game. We won't be playing that anymore. I wouldn't recommend trying it again."

"Damn… he managed to figure out her technique…" Fumikage cursed.

"…But, he revealed a major weak-point…" Izuku commented. "Throwing off the timing by pulling back just before it hits… If Uraraka can use that…!"

"Don't disappoint me." Accelerator said. "You've done very well. Most people would have been dead at that first strike… so come. Let's do this dance some more." Ochako's panting had slowed, but was not completely gone. The nausea caused by her using her quirk on herself didn't help either.

'Pulling back… just before hitting…!' Ochako repeated it in her head. She moved toward Accelerator to deliver a punch, but the force was completely reflected, sending her back. It wasn't enough to break her arm like Fumikage's, but it did cause a serious amount of pain. Accelerator hit her in the side, launching her across the ring.

"Just knowing what you have to do to break through isn't the same as being able to do it. You can't see someone fly and learn how to do it just because you saw them do the deed. Now might be a good time to cut your losses and bail." Accelerator warned.

"I… I can't!" Ochako replied, slowly getting back on her feet.

"Why not? Edge of the ring is right there. Just jump on out and we'll both be done." Accelerator kicked a small stone over the edge of the ring to emphases his point.

"I can't because… If I do, Deku will be all alone out here…!" Ochako replied. Accelerator started to clap.

"Congratulations, you learned that being on top of the world is an awfully lonely position." Accelerator replied. "Tell me something I don't know. This Deku guy… Midoriya Izuku? Sure, he's a little special… but is he really worth risking your life over? Just to comfort him?" Ochako first looked confused, but gradually started to smile.

"Yes, he is!" She proudly replied, running towards Accelerator again. Accelerator narrowed his eyes. Ochako attacked, and it was reflected. Accelerator didn't counter attack. This continued for a while, Ochako repeatedly trying to attack Accelerator and it merely bouncing off. She even tried her Quirk to enhance her strikes, but it failed; Accelerator had already made modifications to his AIM field to reflect those attacks as well. Ochako was starting to exhaust herself trying.

"That important huh…? I could have torn off your arm at any second, but you're still trying…?" Accelerator asked.

"Yeah… it might not make sense to you but… Deku is someone I care about, someone important to me… so I'm not just going to abandon him!" Ochako charged again. Accelerator clicked his teeth and clenched his fingers tightly enough to cause the bones to pop.

Ochako went for a punch, trying to figure out what Accelerator meant by pulling back at the last second. Her fist flew through the air.

It struck Accelerator across the face, forcing him back.

By some miracle, she had figured it out. The technique needed to negate and bypass Accelerator's reflection.

But the discovery was far too late.

Accelerator reeled his arm back open palmed and slammed it into Ochako's stomach, ramping up the force of the strike with his ability to the point in which it outright ejected her from the ring. She hit the wall with a crash and fell, landing on her butt. It stung.

"Damn… it…!" Ochako choked out, still reeling from the attack.

"…Gave you too little credit." Accelerator commented. "Took a while but you figured it out… too bad. Just a few blows sooner and you would have stood a chance." Accelerator picked up his walking stick and deactivated his electrode. '…Fifteen minutes huh… you lasted in a fight with me for fifteen minutes all because you made me not want to kill you… either these heroes are actually worth a shit or I'm starting to get soft…' He thought to himself as he started to leave the ring.

"What a battle… Uphill the entire time but never she gave up, despite certain defeat. I am proud to be able to witness such emotional struggle… but this is not a contest where I get to decide who wins just because of who I wanted to come out on top I'm afraid. The winner of this match is the Accelerator!" The crowd slowly erupted into cheers and applause not only for Accelerator, but Ochako herself.

"…I was almost there huh." Ochako said to herself, somewhat smiling. "So close to being able to stand right alongside him." She slowly stood up. "So… I'll just have to get stronger then! And keep doing it until I can! I won't let Deku… or any of my other friends stand alone!" She knew no one else could hear her, but it was more of a statement for herself anyway. A statement of her determination, and a goal for herself she needed to make clear.

Suddenly, a thought she had been mulling over for a short time because of a certain busty blond reappeared in her head. For some reason, despite her injuries and her defeat, something appeared to have happened positively in her mind.

The confusion in her heart and mind was suddenly clear.

And she made a decision.

"Now, we thank all of our contestants for today's events, and unfortunately, the second round is over! Before we all go, let us decide who will face each other in the semi-finals!" The announcer called out, the brackets appearing again. It randomized the remaining four fighters. "We apologize to our esper friends, but because it is now three espers against one hero, it looks like two from the esper side of things will have to duke it out. Now; let's see those results!" The announcer shouted, and the bracket's randomization stopped, displaying the next day's matches.

"Yes!" Mikoto shouted happily.

"Oh come on, really!?" Touma lamented. "Such Misfortune!"

"Y-you're kidding right…? I'm next!?" Izuku said.

Accelerator merely clicked his teeth.

The matches were as follows.

Match 1: Midoriya Izuku versus Accelerator.

Match 2: Kamijou Touma versus Misaka Mikoto.

 **-Waiting Room, a few minutes later-**

"A-are you sure you're ok, Uraraka?" Izuku asked. Most of the participants apparently had decided to hang back for a bit to converse amongst themselves before leaving.

"I'm fine… just a few scrapes and bruises… and some soreness… but I'm ok!" Ochako replied.

"All that looked painful… but if you're sure…" Tenya asked.

"Hey… sorry about Accelerator you guys." Touma walked up to the group rubbing the back of his head. "I've… only really fought him with my Imagine Breaker… so I had no idea about that weakness he's got… otherwise I would have told you."

"Its fine, nothing can be done now." Ochako did indeed feel sore, but her pain would have to wait. "Hey… could I be excused for a bit?"

"Huh? Sure but… why?" Izuku asked.

"I just need to talk to Shokuhou for a little while… I'm sorry; I'll be back in a bit!" Ochako replied, walking away from the group.

"Wonder what that's about…" Izuku said.

"…Shokuhou can read minds… maybe it's related…" Tenya replied, not knowing how right he was.

A knock came at the door, and it suddenly opened.

"Yo, I saw your guy's matches, you all are getting really good!" All Might said as he walked inside.

"All Might! What are you doing here?" Izuku asked.

"Oh a few reasons… since I'm on vacation technically, I'm a little bit more free with what I can say and do… and in that case, you guys are in one of the largest commercial hubs around, with a good chunk of the day left because the matches seemingly ended early! How about a little bit of extra spending money?" All Might asked. The group of heroes gladly accepted, causing All Might to smile as he dug in his pockets.

"Thanks… but you said there were multiple reasons, right?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah… about that…" All Might's smile faded as he looked up, rubbing the back of his neck. He then looked toward Touma.

"…Oh no." Touma preemptively said.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry… but me and Aizawa need to talk to you for a little bit about these shenanigans you seem to have gotten wrapped up in." All Might replied. Touma only had a two word response.

"…Such Misfortune."


	13. Down Time

**Bit of a slow one... oh well. Enjoy!**

* * *

"So… exactly why am I being carted away like this?" Touma asked as he and All Might walked. They were traveling through the city; seemingly back to where the heroes were staying. All Might rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's… kind of complicated. I technically can't say anything out loud but…" All Might trailed off, as if thinking. "Aizawa needs you more than I do but… oh how to put it in a way you'll understand…"

"…Is it that big of a deal…?" Touma asked carefully.

"Kind of… well, I'm sure you're aware of the government-employed heroes and pro heroes right? Let's say it's related." All Might replied.

"Alright… makes sense… and yeah, I'm fully aware. You're the former number one who retired, All Might, right?" Touma questioned.

"Yeah… that doesn't bother you, does it?"

"Not really… I'm not so easily star struck." Touma replied. "I get to know a lot of big players… whether I want to or not. You kind of get used to it."

"I see… I wish a lot more people were like you then. I'm just lucky not many people recognize me like this yet…" All Might replied.

"Eh… I happened to tune into the news when you announced your retirement. If I didn't' I probably wouldn't have noticed who you were." Touma said, stretching a bit.

"Speaking of which… how went your adventures in World War Three?" All Might asked.

"H-how do you know about that!?" Touma shouted.

"I happened to tune into the news." All Might replied.

"…Cheeky." Touma sighed. All Might laughed. He had to admit; speaking to someone who didn't care about his title or what he has done was a little bit refreshing. "Well we're here." All Might said as they walked in through a set of big glass double doors. "Kind of a swanky place. We got our hands on a fancy party floor deal so everyone can freely relax with each other."

"Fairly certain that even if you got a single room standard; it'll probably have more room in it than my dinky little apartment…" Touma replied.

"Least it's a roof over your head." All Might stated as they walked into an elevator to take them up. It let them out into the common area of their floor.

"Huh… where is everyone?" Touma said; the only person in the room was Aizawa.

"Told them all I needed the room for some private business. Come on it, sit down, and get comfortable." Aizawa replied.

"Might as well…" Touma said sitting down.

"Also, don't worry. All Might is fully briefed on the situation involving magic. You don't have to hold anything back…" Aizawa said.

"…So he knows. Now I'm starting to have a bad feeling…" Touma said, leaning back.

"I've probably dealt with a few magicians without realizing it… probably." All Might shrugged, sitting down.

"So… what is this all about then…?" Touma asked.

"Well… it seems the higher ups of Academy City are more than a tad concerned about this Gregory Augustine…" Aizawa started. "They have been collecting footage of him during his travels in the city itself, as well as his two accomplices. Apparently they find their actions so concerning, they are lifting their age-old ban on Heroes getting involved with the city's affairs and are asking for help… naturally since All Might is retired, that leaves me as the sole pro-hero currently with the city, and therefore, responsibility is mine, as much as I don't want it."

"I see… so you got roped into it just because of proximity…" Touma replied. "I knew they were up to some trouble, but it's really rare for the big wigs to ask for outside help…"

"That's exactly why you're here." Aizawa said. "I couldn't track down Stiyl, and your friend Tsuchimikado left the arena far too quickly for us to be able to reach him. We need information about these people, and what exactly they are trying to accomplish, the sooner the better."

"I see… yeah, Stiyl can be rather aloof, and it's probably a good thing you aren't questioning Tsuchimikado… it would be highly questionable whether or not he was telling the truth." Touma replied. "I can tell you what Stiyl told me; I doubt he'd answer my questions on the subject otherwise I'd call him."

"Start whenever you are ready, Kamijou." Aizawa said.

"Well, you know who they are, obviously." Touma started. "I don't have too much knowledge involving the two helpers he's got, Prometheus and Pandora. They are new to this whole situation. As for Gregory though, he's apparently been running around outside the city for a while; Stiyl has been tracking him. Don't know how long, just that he's only moved his operation into Academy City itself recently."

"So he's new… probably doesn't know his way around town very well…" Aizawa said.

"His hired help may remedy that problem for him. We may not know much about his two associates, but remember that he is not working alone." All Might added.

"Very true… please, continue." Aizawa said.

"Well the only other thing I know is that he's trying to revive someone… I don't know who honestly. Apparently his magic cabal has a way of reviving its past members, but it needs human souls to work… more powerful the person, the more souls it needs. His friends apparently stole a magic grimoire, the Necronomicon, and aside from being the highest epitome of necromancy, it apparently also has intrinsic ability to hold human souls and summon them from the dead… if I had to guess he's probably going to try to use the Necronomicon as a catalyst for his attempt at revival."

"I see… does the world of magic frown upon necromancy or something?" All Might asked.

"I don't think so… I believe it has more to do with who Gregory is trying to resurrect rather than the fact he's doing it… he must be fairly dangerous." Touma replied.

"I see… is that truly all you know?" Aizawa asked, leaning back.

"Yeah, unfortunately. If you want anything else you'll have to try and pull it out of Stiyl or Tsuchimikado… as said, Stiyl is aloof and probably won't talk easily, and Tsuchimikado has a habit of lying to people." Touma finished.

"Very well." Aizawa said, standing up. "You can leave this to me from here on out. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's fine… if it wasn't this it would have been something else." Touma stood up. "All I have to worry about is the bottomless pit that is my roommate…"

"Ah, hold on." All Might said, digging round in his pockets. "It is customary to pay a finder's fee for information, is it not?"

"You don't have to worry about it. I'm more than… happy…" Touma trailed off as he looked down at All Might's out-stretched hand, holding several folded up bills. "…H-how much is in there?"

"Enough." All Might replied, taking Touma's hand and putting the bills into it. "I may not be able to save the world anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't brighten up a young boy's day, right?"

"…T-thank you…!" Touma said, trying to hold back tears. "I-I haven't seen that much s-since…!"

"No worries! Go ahead and enjoy yourself!" All Might replied.

"Make no mistake, that retired or not, you are truly this unlucky Kamijou's hero this day! Thank you very much!" Touma shouted as he left the room, leaving his farewells behind.

"…You are aware that we're not allowed to pay people for information right?" Aizawa asked.

"You're not. I'm a retired man on vacation." All Might replied simply. Aizawa sighed, which only caused All Might to grin.

 **-Outside the Arena-**

"So you've returned to me?" Misaki asked Ochako, the two meeting in private. "Oh I can only wonder why." She giggled lightly.

"You know why I'm here." Ochako simply responded with a certain degree of confidence.

"Well… if you have made your decision…" Misaki continued, but Ochako interrupted.

"I don't want to know." She said plainly. "It doesn't matter how he feels about me, because I know how I feel about him. What I want to do... is to support him however I can. He deserves to know how I feel as his friend… and even if he rejects me, I will still continue to support him."

"Oho… I see. Quite solid as steel about this then?" Misaki asked.

"Yes, I am. I honestly do care about him a lot… he is really inspiring to tell the truth. And I'm not going to let something as silly as romance or lack of it get in the way of that!" Ochako stood with her head held high and her hands on her hips. She stood tall and proud of her stance on the subject.

"I see… those are your honest feelings then." Misaki stated, Ochako nodding in agreement. "Well! That makes things easier for you! Because he's totally head-over-heels in love with you, too!"

Ochako's iron will of pride quickly shattered and was replaced with bright red embarrassment.

"W-what!?" She stuttered out. "I-I-I told you I d-didn't want to know!" She whined, suddenly fidgeting in place. "W-why did you tell me!? I didn't want to invade his privacy like that…!"

"Because… your reactions are priceless!" Misaki replied, only adding to Ochako's embarrassment.

"Y-you're the w-worst!" Ochako complained.

"Well, does it really change anything?" Misaki asked. "You said it yourself after all. He deserves to know… it just means your chances of getting a wonderfully happy ending are higher!"

"…That's right!" Ochako stood tall again, though she continued to blush. "Now I'm going to head back and find Deku, and we're going to enjoy what this city has to offer together!"

"He likes playing two player games, find one you both can enjoy in the arcade to increase his love power." Misaki said. Ochako only pouted in response.

"…What kind of food does he like?" Ochako begrudgingly asked, looking away.

"Katsudon, but he will eat anything he is served, especially in a comfortable environment." Misaki answered.

"…This discussion never happened." Ochako stated.

"Agreed!" Misaki replied cheerfully. "Good luck with fostering a powerful relationship ability!" Ochako's softened up to a smile and then she quickly departed, saying good bye. Misaki watched her as she left, and when she was gone, she sighed.

"At least the person you're in love with knows you exist…" She said simply, before leaving herself.

 **-Corporate Building, Top Floor-**

"Top Floor! Executive suites, washrooms, and a whole lot of security guard corpses!" Prometheus declared jokingly. He, Pandora, and Gregory had apparently broken in through the ceiling and security responded in kind. However, they were no match for what they attempted to confront.

"I suppose more souls will assist us… but do be careful not to leave behind a paper trail. I do not want to be disturbed; there is a large amount of time before I can perform the Fire-Borne Ritual." Gregory warned, walking forward.

"Relax… I'm careful… cut off all the alarms and everything. I think you're starting to doubt me, Greg ol' boy!" Prometheus answered.

"My name is… ugh, never mind." Gregory walked further inside. "So the room that would work the best for the Fire-Borne Ritual is here then…"

"Yeah. I don't know all the specific requirements you need, so I figured it best to just let you take a look yourself…" Prometheus answered. "All the doors up here, including the elevators, are sealed. Welded shut, in fact. Unless someone has some kind of explosive to bust in, you should be safe."

"I see…" Gregory responded. "So I merely need to find the prime position… that's good."

"What is the next step then?" Prometheus asked.

"I'm afraid I must be entirely alone for the ritual itself… the requirements and laws of this kind of magic are very strict. One small variable of difference could cause it to fail." Gregory replied.

"Yeah I understand… just sucks that you'll be left all alone waiting for whoever the hell to come and kill you." Prometheus said.

"I understand the risks. They are worth it to bring Master Japhet back from the dead." Gregory replied. "Only he is powerful enough to bring the corruption of this world to a halt and purify it."

"Sounds like a real stand up guy." Prometheus stated. "So until you're done with your ritual… I guess that means me and Pandora are free then, right?"

"I suppose so…" Gregory agreed. "As long as you don't lead anyone here or get captured… I suppose you both are free to do as you wish. You will know when to return, I assure you."

"Not a problem boss-man-general-sir!" Prometheus snickered. "You just leave it to us!" Prometheus then vanished without a trace. Gregory himself sighed.

'I grow more suspicious of those two with every passing moment.' Gregory thought to himself. '…I dare say they are using me for something. But it doesn't matter; they can use me all they desire. I am too close to care about such a trivial matter… once Master Japhet walks this world once again…!' Gregory's thoughts trailed off as he moved deeper in the corporate building, searching for the prime location for his ritual.

Pandora sat on top of the building, watching the ground below. Prometheus appeared beside her after a short time.

"Greetings, brother." Pandora slowly stood, the pieces of her staff appearing as a form of decoration on various places of her body.

"Yo. Are you ready to go?" Prometheus asked. Pandora nodded.

"Where to?" She asked. Prometheus grinned.

"Around… I'm still a little bit pissed off at those guys from last night… so how about we go out and find them?"

 **-Arena, Front Gates-**

"Man… where did Uraraka go…?" Izuku asked himself. The others had already gone their separate ways, but Izuku himself chose to stay behind and wait for Uraraka. "Maybe she… no, she isn't the kind of person to bail… but maybe she and Shokuhou went to go and do something and she forgot to text me…?" Izuku thought out loud.

"S-sorry I'm late!" Ochako came running from the other side of the street over towards him. "I just had something important to talk about with her, I'm fine now!"

"I see, I'm glad everything's ok then. I have to admit I was kind of worried…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head.

"It's fine… where did everyone go?" Ochako asked, searching around.

"They decided to take off on their own. I think Iida left to try and train I think; apparently his match with Kamijou really fired him up to redouble his efforts in improving himself." Izuku answered.

"I see…" Ochako replied. She suddenly felt very nervous, but she tried her best to keep calm. "Hey… Deku?"

"Yeah? What's up?" Izuku answered.

"I was just wondering… since we have a lot more free time today… I wanted to hit-up that arcade again… w-would you like to join me?" Ochako asked.

"I don't see why not… I'll ask if Iida or Kirishima if they'd like to join us." Izuku pulled out his phone but Ochako covered it up with one hand.

"I-I meant… j-just you… and m-me…?" Ochako nervously asked. Izuku looked up, appearing shocked with his face blushing red. It seemed he very easily figured out what she was suggesting. "I-I understand i-if you don't want to! B-but…"

"N-no! It's fi- I-I mean yes! I-I…" Izuku was suddenly more than a little lost for words and had to take a deep breath. "I mean I would be more than happy to join you!" Izuku eventually shouted, much louder than he intended due to his flustered state.

"R-Really!?" Ochako asked, blushing red herself.

"Y-yeah! Sure, whatever you w-want to do, I'm game! Let's do it!" Izuku replied in a mixture of embarrassment and happiness. They both seemed to smile at each other then run off to their destination together, one chasing after the other continuously shifting between joy and excitement. As love seemingly bloomed in the air, two figures watched the pair as they made their away towards the Arcade.

"Well looky here… I found one…!" Prometheus said, watching out of sight. "And would you look at that, a girly girl! I think I saw her with that guy when I first went to pick up Greg… interesting indeed…!"

"What is the plan of attack, brother?" Pandora asked.

"Can't hit them now… too open, broad daylight. Chances of us getting caught are astronomically high… let's tail them and see where they end up…" Prometheus responded. The duo then vanished from their perch without a trace.

 **-Two Hours Later, Arcade-**

"I-I think I figured out why your combat training came so naturally to you…!" Izuku commented as the two left the arcade.

"N-no… I'm not that good…" Ochako replied, rubbing the back of her head.

"You say that, but you're the one who went undefeated the entire time. It was amazing!" Izuku stated.

"Y-you think so…?" Ochako was feeling flattered but embarrassed.

"Yeah!" Izuku replied, the two walking down the street, absentmindedly hand in hand. "We still have a lot of time… where should we go next?"

"How… how about something to eat? It is around that time you know!" Ochako cheerfully suggested.

"That sounds good; I guess we just walk around until we find something!" The two wandered around for a time until the settled on a family restaurant. The sign clearly said to, "Seat yourself, we will be right with you!" on the front. They took their seat in a window booth, sitting right across from each other.

Just as their server would appear, there was a shriek of a girl. Then a crash of dishes. Then a cry of pain from a male. This seemed to disrupt the entire natural flow of the restaurant as everything came to a halt.

"…Do you want to check it out?" Izuku asked.

"I guess we should… as heroes and all…" Ochako replied. They slowly got up and looked around the corner, as did a few other people. They saw a feast of various foods and soups, all unfortunately covering a boy about sixteen years old, looking more than a bit like Kamijou Touma; one of the bowls was covering the top part of his head. Across from the male sat a girl appearing to be a nun in a white outfit with long silver hair, oddly not covered in food at all.

"Hey Touma… your bad luck is killing the good food again…" The nun said, indirectly confirming the male's identity.

"Well I'm sorry… when I get the ability to control it; I'll let you know…" Touma replied angrily.

"Oh my god oh my god oh my god! I'm s-so sorry!" The waitress panicked. "I-it will be just a bit l-longer, w-we will replace it all, no charge!" The waitress, afraid of her customer's wrath, quickly left the scene, forgetting to pick up after the accident.

"…Such misfortune." Touma said, pulling the bowl off of his head, his hair now drenched and covered in noodles.

"…Kamijou?" Izuku called out hesitantly.

"Huh…? Midoriya? And… Uraraka…?" Touma called back. The nun with silver hair looked back behind her at Izuku and Ochako. Touma and Izuku looked at each other and pointed.

"Are you… on a date?" They both asked simultaneously.

The two girls reacted in kind.

"W-was it really that obvious- I-I mean… ugh…" Ochako lamented, accidently telling the truth.

"N-no way!" The nun responded, noticeably blushing. "Touma had just come across a great fortune and we are trying to celebrate! Then Touma's bad luck angers the gods of food…"

"Index, calm down, I'm not trying to have stuff like this happen!" Touma sighed. "Sorry… she's my roommate, her name is Index. Sorry for the confusion, but Kamijou is not seeing anyone right now, if that's what you're suggesting..."

"My full name is Index Librorum Prohibitorum! It means Index of Prohibited Books, or if you prefer, grimoires!" The nun proudly introduced her long, weird name.

"Grimoire…? You mean like the Necronomicon that Gregory guy has?" Izuku asked almost reflexively. Touma's face quickly when from annoyed to frightened. From that Izuku was able to tell that he had done bad, and promptly covered his mouth out of reflex to avoid saying more.

"Grimoire…? Necronomicon…?" Ochako asked, confused.

"…Touma." Index said in a dark tone. "…You're off getting into trouble again, aren't you…?"

"U-um… define… trouble…?" Touma held up his arm like a shield as he nervously responded.

Index practically flew from her side the table over to his and bit his arm in anger.

"Ow! Why me!? Such misfortune!" Touma called out to the gods themselves, who were apparently silent in this misfortunate boy's time of need.


	14. Japhet

**A bit of a slow informational one... but things pick up next time! Enjoy!**

* * *

"You are an idiot, Touma." Index said simply. "A man wishing to use the Necronomicon to revive the dead, and you don't even ask me about it…"

"I was worried about you attacking me if you found out I was dealing with it…" Touma said, now covered in bite marks. "…And you've only proven that my fear was valid." Index bit him again, causing him to cry out in pain.

'E-excuse me… t-this is all still a large amount to take in... magic spells, reviving the dead… I'm still kind of lost about everything… what exactly is going on?" Ochako spoke up. In a short span of time, Touma explained the situation involving Gregory Augustine, his plan, and Index spoke about the general overview of magic when the question of it invariably appeared.

"Basically, Gregory is collecting souls to revive his long-dead master it seems like. That's the easy version…" Touma replied, rubbing his apparent wounds.

"But I'm still confused about all this… magic stuff…" Ochako replied. Izuku sighed.

"Sorry… I kept it hidden because… well… I wasn't sure if anyone would believe us even if we did say anything specific about it." Izuku rubbed his neck. "…Plus, I was honestly still in doubt about it all myself. It's just one of those things that's hard to believe in being raised these days, you know? Magic and raising the dead are the stuff of fiction."

"You live in a world where practically everyone has super powers, yet magic seems fake to you?" Index spoke condescendingly.

"Don't beat him up about it. You thought the same thing about my right arm." Touma commented. Index puffed up in response, but seemed to let it go.

"…Hypocrisy is unfit for a lady, I suppose…" Index admitted.

"Good, now if we can work on the definition of a lady for you, we can fix the other side of that statement." Touma said. Index seemed to get angry again.

"E-enough fighting, please!" Izuku said. "We're sorry for keeping it a secret… magic, reviving the dead, everything… but we were worried that if more people knew, more people would get involved and get hurt because of it…"

"…Touma does know a lot of people who would jump into fights involving him…" Index admitted.

"Kirishima would jump in for sure… not to mention how everyone reacted to Bakugou being kidnapped…" Ochako added, seemingly accepting the explanation.

"Thanks for understanding…" Izuku said, sighing in relief. "I was worried that you'd be angry with me…"

"I am." Ochako stated simply. "…But you had your reasons. Plus you're safe now."

"For now." Index warned. "The Necronomicon is a powerful grimoire, one that doubles as a magic artifact because of its unique properties. Those fictional stories about a zombie outbreak were inspired by its power; many of those stories include the Necronomicon as a cause for their events for that exact reason."

"So… what exactly are we dealing with?" Izuku asked.

"That's what I'm curious about… Necromancy is complicated magic. Raising an army of the undead would be simple enough with human corpses around, but fully reviving a person would not only take a large amount of mana, but a constant flow of it to deny the grasps of the after-life from taking the soul back. A force would be endlessly trying to pull the revived man's soul back to the grave." Index answered.

"What… if they found a way around that?" Izuku asked. "He keeps talking about a Millennial Phoenix, and compares his master to it quite often, referring to them both as one and the same…"

"Well…" Index started. "…A lot of magic cabals sprung out of ancient Egypt. They all went off into different directions over time, trying to seek answers and develop their beliefs. There was one order that centered on the phoenix, this cabal and its members traveled between Greece and Egypt often, and it is theorized that various allusions to the phoenix in Egypt's ancient constructs there are because of that…"

"So do you think that an entire cabal is involved here…? Gregory has been acting alone, with seemingly hired hands. They act nothing like the guy, at least when it compares to their apparent religion…" Izuku questioned.

"Not likely, at least not in its previous form." Index answered. "Cabals change and shift over time, as is the nature of magic. And the fact of him working alone further points to that; if we had an entire magic cabal bearing down here, he'd have more than enough help to accomplish his goal rather than having to find help. Moreover… I do recall in my studies hearing about a man who was leading a cabal that very well may be a decedent of the one from Egypt."

"Who?" Ochako asked.

"Hugo Japhet. He led the Order of the Millennial Phoenix. Although, no-one has ever recalled a person with such a name prior to his sudden appearance in force, so many believe that the name is fake, and that he chose to call himself such because of the religious significance of Japheth as one of the sons of Noah. He led a secret war to undermine and take control of various magic institutions and followings in an attempt to unite them all under his command, believing that he alone can maintain the peace and purity of the world." Index answered.

"I see…" Izuku leaned back. "So this Hugo Japhet was their leader and died… and Gregory Augustine is trying to bring back their leader?"

"It… must be but…" Index paused for a moment. "…Hugo Japhet has been dead for well over 150 years… there's no way that Gregory Augustine could have known him well enough to follow him with as much admiration as you describe; the order died along with Hugo Japhet when the Roman Catholic Church got involved."

"Well… if they have found a way to revive the dead and bypass the natural laws... Hugo would have been revived after his death later, right?" Ochako commented.

"It's… possible…" Index mused. "If the members had gone underground… it would explain a decreasing rate of membership. If the order were to surface or reveal it was seeking now worshipers, the Roman Catholics would crush them, so they would have to stay hidden."

"If so… it's also possible that Gregory was born into the order. It would explain his endless devotion to a man he has never met." Touma added.

"He must be trying to revitalize his failing organization by reviving its leader. That makes sense, right?" Ochako asked.

"That makes sense… but he takes a lot of risks doing it in Academy City." Index replied. "There must be something else to it… but I feel like we won't be able to find out until we can find Gregory himself."

"This is a giant puzzle…" Izuku said out loud.

"And apparently it's a bad one; your teacher Aizawa is looking into it officially on the behalf of the higher ups of Academy City." Touma replied.

"Really?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah… I guess having a fire-throwing magician doesn't look good during a publicity event. Who knew?" Touma replied.

"Well if Aizawa is looking into the situation, it should be wrapped up soon hopefully!" Ochako said. "He specializes in this kind of thing, right?"

"Yeah. Stealth operations like this are his specialty." Izuku nodded.

"Here's to hoping this doesn't get any worse…" Touma said. "This city has enough problems; the dead coming back to life don't need to add to it."

"…What's wrong with the city?" Izuku asked. "Seems like a technological heaven to me, most of the people seem really happy here."

"It's one of those things… if you get involved in the general politics of what happens around here, you're going to have a bad time." Touma replied. It only made Izuku more curious to think about what Touma meant

"It's bad enough you're stuck in that stupid competition…" Index muttered, referring to Touma.

"I don't want to be in it either… least tomorrow is the last day." Touma said.

"…We should stop focusing on the negative stuff!" Ochako cheerfully stated. "We can talk about something else; I just got a high score in a fighting game in the arcade! And I beat several of the regulars there!"

"That's cool. Aogami drags me out there sometimes when the new games get released." Touma replied. "…Well, for stuff to talk about, could discuss as to why you two suddenly go on a date right after a combat competition."

"W-w-well… that's…!" Ochako trailed off as her face lit up.

"F-funny you should mention that…" Izuku did the same.

"You two weren't dating before, right?" Touma asked. Both shook their heads. "Well, what brought it on?"

"W-well… Shokuhou has been… kind of pulling for me to act on how I felt… so…" Ochako admitted.

"Wait… she got into your head too…?" Izuku asked.

"M-more like… my emotions…" Ochako blushed deeper as she spoke.

"…Mine too, kind of." Izuku replied, rubbing his neck.

"…Well, I don't know who you're talking about, but it seems like she had the best intentions in the end." Touma replied.

"Wait… you don't remember Shokuhou?" Izuku asked.

"No…? Should I?" Touma asked.

"She's Shokuhou Misaki, the Fifth ranked level 5; Deku beat her in the first round?" Ochako asked. Touma shook his head. "…Busty girl with blond hair that looks like she should be a model rather than a middle schooler?"

"Not… ringing any bells…" Touma was appearing confused. "Are… you sure she was there? I'd definitely remember someone like that…" Touma held his head, appearing like he was starting to have a headache.

"Huh… that's weird…" Ochako said, looking confused.

"You'll have to forgive him…" Index spoke him, looking concerned herself. "He's… he's always running off to help people, and he gets hurt a lot. Because of that sometimes… things hit him in the head and mess with his memory a bit." Index spoke carefully.

"That's really bad… you should have that checked out Kamijou." Izuku said.

"Y-yeah… This one is new… you're sure she was there earlier today?" Touma asked. Both Izuku and Ochako nodded. "…Well this is going to make me mad. This issue is new…"

Both Izuku and Ochako looked at each other, appearing confused. Just what could cause Touma to completely forget a person like Misaki completely, despite them being in the same room only a few hours ago?

"But hey… you guys took a break from your date because of me, right?" Touma asked.

"W-well… we wanted to make sure everything is ok!" Izuku replied.

"It's fine." Touma replied. "You two should get back at it, no need to hold yourselves up for me, thanks for checking on me though."

"You sure?" Ochako asked.

"Yeah I'm sure; besides!" Touma smirked a little bit. "The first date is supposed to be magical! Guy and a girl into each other mutually, learning each other in and out, maybe a little bit of skinship and kissing if things go well…" Izuku and Ochako got progressively more embarrassed and red as Touma listed off more things.

"W-we get it, thank you!" Ochako stuttered out, blushing red.

"Ah… ok, just remember to keep it PG-13; I know consent laws are kind of sketchy here and Japan, and I also know about the low birth-rate issue, but neither of those require you two to try and repopulate; humanity will do just fine." Touma joked.

"W-we don't need you to tell us that!" Izuku and Ochako both shouted.

 **-1 hour later-**

"The food there was so good… I wish I could have had more." Izuku commented, looking content.

"Kind of hard to be a hero if we have to roll you around, you know!" Ochako replied.

"I know… I guess that everything just seems like this place is really amazing, you know?" Izuku replied. "I have to admit, I'm not fond of the combat part of the competition, but I hear that getting into Academy City is really expensive, and we got to be here basically for free. Maybe change what the contest entails and I'd definitely consider doing this competition thing again just for a chance to come back."

"I wonder if they will do something like this again… it seems to be a really good turn out, so they must have made money on it." Ochako mused.

"And it somewhat seems to be good publicity for the U.A." Izuku mentioned. "They've bene kind of railed because of the League of Villains' actions… so showing that they are putting us on the right path to be heroes should score them some points with the general public."

"Well… except maybe for the matches with Accelerator…" Ochako rubbed the back of her head.

"…Good point, Accelerator really gets into it with trying to be as off-putting as possible…" Izuku admitted. "…I guess he must have his reasons for not wanting people around."

"I bet he's a big softie once you get to know him!" Ochako cheerfully replied.

"Kamijou seems to know him fairly well… though they appear not to get along…"

"True… hrm…" Ochako trailed off.

"It really seems like all the espers are really diverse, now that I think about it." Izuku said. "It's kind of hard to believe that the power development curriculum can give people abilities like this just from their minds. It makes me wonder how things would have been different if I was born here instead."

"I think you'd get a really cool but gentle esper ability! I can imagine you getting something like controlling air pressure, and being able to use it to fly!" Ochako cheerfully said.

"I wonder… could an esper could become a hero?" Izuku thought out-loud. "I don't think I'd want to change anything though. Even after the bad things that have been happening, I don't think I'd change a thing."

"I'm glad… because I don't think I could imagine a life we never met, regardless of what you could have said when I asked you out…" Ochako wrapped her arms around Izuku's own right as they walked, huddling closer. Izuku blushed but didn't reject the closeness. They walked together for a time, simply enjoying each other's company, until a flash of light blinded them both.

"Nya, I got it Aogami!" Tsuchimikado held out his phone as he suddenly peaked around the corner.

"See I told you Tsuchimikado! I found some love birds we know finally owning up to their emotions and letting them explode! I figured this would work out well!" Aogami stuck his head out next.

"I… what…?" Izuku was confused.

"If you two could kiss so we could have additional blackmail on you two, that'd be great, nya!" Tsuchimikado said. It quickly became clear that Tsuchimikado had taken a photo of them. Both Izuku and Ochako turned red as a beet as they put two and two together.

"B-blackmail!?" Ochako stuttered out. "Y-you can't! T-this was just supposed to be a special time for the both of us!"

"Well, that's unfortunate." Aogami said, holding out his own phone. "Because up until recently, I've been live-streaming the whole thing!"

"W-WHAT!?" Both Izuku and Ochako shouted.

"Yeah… not many watchers, but I recognize some IP addresses from the U.A!" Aogami cheerfully said.

"Putting both their names on it really made sure it caught some people attention, nya!" Tsuchimikado said. Both Izuku and Ochako were visibly shaking in a combination of embarrassment and anger.

"Now, the live-stream is one thing… but we can make the picture go away if you can do some special favors for us!" Aogami said.

"Act fast; the wonders of photo-manipulation are grand… who knows what else we could do with it!?" Tsuchimikado added cheerfully. The couple held their heads low; hiding their eyes, as they slowly stopped shaking. They stood like this for a time before one of them finally broke the silence.

"…Uraraka." He said. Ochako lifted up her head slightly. "Get on my back."

"Ok." She responded quietly. Izuku knelt down to give Ochako better positioning, and then stood up, holding her up by her legs.

"…Nya?" Tsuchimikado and Aogami exchanged glances.

"…Grab ahold of them both, and send them into the air. Don't let them down until they are higher up than the tallest building in the city." Izuku said.

"Understood." Ochako replied. The two then began running towards Tsuchimikado and Aogami; Ochako's hands out-stretched waiting to grab them.

"I think it's time to run!" Aogami shouted.

"I'm inclined to agree, nya!" Tsuchimikado replied. The duo then ran down the street as Izuku and Ochako gave chase.

"It might have been a bad time to give them the initiation into the circle of friends, Tsuchimikado!" Aogami said.

"Non-sense! The timing and the subject was perfect! We just need to out-run them and let them clam down first, nya!" Tsuchimikado shouted back.

"If you say so, but they are gaining on us!"

"Then run faster, nya!" Izuku and Ochako continued to chase them both all over the city.

 **-Hotel, Several Hours Later-**

Their chase unsuccessful, Izuku and Ochako returned to their lodgings when the sun started to set. They expected their fair share of embarrassment from their time together being aired opening on the internet, and while they did receive some, they mostly received praise and encouragement. After some time, everyone decided it was time to rest. There was one more day left in this tournament, after all.

"Man… what a day…" Izuku said to himself as he fell back onto his bed. He began to think back to the events that had transpired today. He couldn't help but think back to the time he had spent with Ochako; he didn't even bother to try and hide that formed on smile on his face as he thought about their time together.

His thoughts shifted, however, to the tournament tomorrow. And his opponent: Accelerator. The single most powerful esper in all of Academy City.

"…I feel like tomorrow is going to be painful…" Izuku said to himself. "Uraraka figured out how to hit him… I'll have to ask her to help me tomorrow…" He continued to speak to no-one specific. "Moreover… I'll have to fight again the same day… I'll be fighting either Misaka or Kamijou…"

Mikoto was the one he was more afraid to face. Her control of her electricity was top of its class and her taking down both Shouto and Momo showed that. Not just electric powers, but her railgun, and her control over iron sand and possible other metals with magnetism, like the soles of his own boots, for example, didn't help much.

Despite his fear however, the person he really didn't want to fight was Touma. He was a person who outright stated he wanted nothing to do with this tournament at all, and is more or less locked into it. Moreover, he was a really kind person who genuinely liked to help people, and would do so unconditionally. Izuku was unsure if he would even be able to raise a hand against him.

He was also unsure if Imagine Breaker could negate his One for All or not. A lot of questions rolled around in his mind.

"…I should try and keep in contact with Kamijou." Izuku suddenly said, sitting up. "Maybe I should ask for his number when I see him tomorrow?" he asked himself, pulling out his phone and flipping through his contacts. Another thought popped into his head as well: Misaki.

"I should also ask Shokuhou about what was wrong with Kamijou… I hope it's not too personal…" He mused out loud like this for a time as he tried to process everything. He finally glanced at the clock and decided it was time for bed himself. He changed clothes and slipped under the covers, falling asleep rather quickly.

Time passed. Clouds moved in the night, revealing the shining jewel that was the moon, which spread its light into the hotel room.

A male suddenly appeared in Izuku's room, silently and quietly. Scythe in hand.

Prometheus turned and grinned at the sleeping hero. Pandora was not far behind, literally phasing though the window as if nothing was there, and doing so just as silently as Prometheus. A flick of her staff and the blinds closed, hiding the moonlight.

Prometheus turned towards Pandora and held up one finger to his lips. Pandora nodded and her staff shined briefly. The walls glowed, and suddenly sounds from the outside were gone.

Under this spell, no sound would escape from this room. Nor would any sound enter. Complete silence and exclusion from the outside world.

The plan was simple. One at a time, silently kill all eight of the heroes while they slept. Then, move onto the boy who could negate Pandora's magic. Starting here felt more personal for some unknown reason; it felt more right to begin here rather than anywhere else.

Prometheus licked his lips as he reeled his scythe blade back, ready to bring it down on the sleeping Izuku.

The fires of chaos would reign this night.


	15. Trap Phantasm

**And here we go... Enjoy!**

* * *

Izuku slept seemingly peacefully, unaware of what was around him. His dreams were bland and unformed; evident of his exhaustion. He felt as if he was lying in a fluffy cloud of sorts as abstract images and scenes played out in his mind; easily ignorable for someone who just wanted to relax and not care, even if it was just a dream.

A voice called out to him to disturbed his peace however.

The voice spoke his name, and only had one demand.

Wake up.

"…Five more minutes…" Izuku turned over in his sleep, as well as his dream. He snuggled in, getting comfortable after the disruption. The voice in his dream however, had other plans.

Suddenly, his comfy cloud vanished, and Izuku started to plummet in his dreams. Too sacred to scream, he could only watch as his body fell out of the sky, and started to travel straight toward some kind of city. He panicked; not knowing what to do. He started to fall faster, as if some kind of force was hurling him towards the ground. The voice became many, and all made the same demand.

Wake up.

He hit the ground.

Izuku's eyes snapped open in a fright, only took look up and see a scythe blade bearing down on him. He rolled off of his bed just in time to dodge the strike; the scythe digging right into the mattress he was just sleeping on.

"Shit… awake after all huh? Sneaky fucker." Prometheus said as he pulled back his scythe.

"P-Prometheus…!" Izuku stuttered out, still reeling from the assault. He looked around the room. "Pandora too…!?"

"Yeah, you're getting popular! We came all the way up here just for you!" Prometheus said with a smirk.

"W-what the hell do you want with me!?" Izuku shouted.

"What else? To kill you. I figured the whole scythe-almost-going-into-your-chest thing would tip you off to that." Prometheus replied. Izuku slowly pulled himself up to his feet. The room wasn't necessarily large; Prometheus' scythe swings would take up large sections of it.

"Don't bother trying to call for help." Pandora warned. "No one can hear you. And you can't hear anyone else. Complete isolation."

"You can consider this your own personal hell, you little shit!" Prometheus said. "This city is going to burn, no survivors as punishment for the atrocities against humankind it has wrought! I just figured some more personal punishment was in order for what you tried to do to my sister!" Prometheus aimed his scythe at Izuku. "Don't fight it, no one can save you. If you stand still, I'll make it quick and painless!"

Izuku didn't know what to do next. Escape wasn't an option; with the height of the building the drop would surely injure him, One for All or otherwise. Moreover, leaving these two here would be catastrophic; what if Prometheus took out his rage on everyone else? They could already soundproof the room; what's to stop them from doing everything again to harm someone else.

Fighting was also a very risky option. Izuku struggled with Pandora when he had help; fighting them both off alone was out of the question.

The only option he could see in his mind would be to find a way to wake everyone else up and hopefully defeat them with their combined force. Or at the very least, drive them away.

He saw his cellphone on the floor next to the wall. If he couldn't make noise to get everyone else's attention, something else would have to work.

"Time's up! Here I come!" Prometheus lunged forward, swinging his scythe. Izuku dove to the side to dodge, landing near his phone. He picked it up and spun through his contacts and hit to call at random. It didn't matter who, someone had to answer.

"Come on come on…!" Izuku shouted. He didn't have long to wait as Pandora brought a spear made of ice down on top of him. He dove out of the way again, but was kicked across the face by a teleporting Prometheus.

"Two on one isn't your specialty, is it kid?" Prometheus mocked. "Too bad… we specialize in it after all! I'm telling you, dying isn't so bad! We will make it nice, quick and instant! You won't feel much more than a little prick!"

"Sorry, I'm not interested in what you're selling!" Izuku shouted.

"Too bad; you don't get a choice!" Prometheus lunged at Izuku again, intent on cleaving him in half.

 **-Outside Izuku's Door-**

"Watching a movie this late when he should be sleeping… he's the last one in this competition damn it!" Kirishima groggily rubbed his eyes as he exited his room, phone in hand. "And he has the nerve to call me and wake me up with it all!? I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" Kirishima stood outside his door, and was more than a little put off by the fact that now there was no sound coming from Izuku's room, when he can clearly hear something through his phone, but he ignored it.

"Hey! Open up!" Kirishima beat on the door. His key wouldn't work; the keycards to each of the hotel rooms were specific to each enclosure. He heard no response. "I'll take it easy on you if you let me in!"

"What the hell are you doing Kirishima!? Shut the hell up! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Katsuki poked his head out of his own room to shout.

"That's what I'm saying! Midoriya called me blaring some kind of damn movie or something!" Kirishima pulled on the door handle; trying to pull it loose.

"The only thing I hear is you being a loud piece of shit." Katsuki shot back.

"I know… kind of weird. I can only hear it through my phone." Kirishima replied.

"Only through your phone…?" Katsuki questioned. "These rooms aren't sound proof you piece of shit. It's probably some kind shithead who stole his phone fucking with you…"

The door Kirishima was pulling on bent back towards him, as if something hard had slammed into it, snapping back into place afterward. Despite the apparent impact, not a sound was heard from the room.

"…You didn't hear anything, right?" Kirishima asked.

"Nope." Katsuki replied. He was starting to get suspicious now. Katsuki approached the door when a large steel blade pierced through the door, coming back out shortly after. Once again, there was no sound.

"T-the hell was that…!?" Kirishima asked.

"…Get ready." Katsuki popped his knuckles. He threw his hands forward and activated his quirk, blasting the door apart. Before Kirishima could protest, a massive dragon head made out of ice burst from the smoke, intent on biting down on Katsuki. Kirishima pushed him out of the way and hardened his body, using it combined with his strength to hold the dragon's jaws open. The head flew forward, forcing Kirishima up against a wall as he struggled to hold the beast at bay.

Katsuki used his quirk to blast the ice dragon to pieces, and they both looked inside the room to find Pandora floating in the air, and Prometheus with Izuku pinned to the ground by his foot. Izuku was holding the scythe blade as Prometheus tried to force it down to pierce Izuku's head.

"…Well, so much for the stealth kill." Prometheus said. Katsuki's face broke out into a grin.

"So you're back for some more huh!?" Katsuki shouted. "Bit of a glutton of punishment aren't you? Aizawa isn't here, but I'll be more than happy to beat the shit out of you!" Several small explosions triggered in Katsuki's hands.

"Kind of busy at the moment, give me like… ten seconds and we can have fun trying to kill each other, ok!?" Prometheus replied.

"Kacchan…!" Izuku called out.

"No chance in hell am I waiting!" Katsuki charged forward, only to be blasted backward by an electric attack from Pandora.

"Stubborn little bastard… he's next I swear." Prometheus looked off at the scene unfolding outside the room. Izuku saw the opportunity of the distraction and activated his Full Cowl, then promptly slamming both of his feet into Prometheus' torso, sending him upward through the ceiling. Izuku then dashed out of the room as quickly as he could, stopping near Kirishima and Katsuki.

"Hey man, are you alright!?" Kirishima asked.

"Y-yeah… just a little shaken up…" Izuku replied.

"Guess this is what you called me about, huh…" Kirishima said as Izuku pushed himself to his feet. Izuku nodded, panting.

"Well shit… I wanted to get this done quick and quiet so I could move onto my next target." Prometheus suddenly appeared in the main room. "I guess we will have to have ourselves a good ol' brawl then! A fight to the death! Sounds like fun, doesn't it?" Prometheus held out one hand, which ignited into crimson flame while doing so.

"You're not just fighting us three…" Izuku replied. "If you attack one of us, you're going to have to fight all of us!"

"Yeah! You can talk big all you want, but we're the ones who are going to be winning after this!" Kirishima shouted.

"Nice speech." Prometheus mocked. He was about to lunge forward when he heard Pandora's voice.

"B-brother… help…!" She choked out. Practically her entire body was covered by an unnatural darkness that seemed to envelop her.

"Pandora!" He turned and tried to run for her, but found his feet frozen to the floor.

"It's just as they said." Fumikage spoke from within the darkness, his head now sticking out as his Dark Shadow enveloped Pandora to restrain her.

"If you attack one of us, you attack all of us." Shouto emerged from his own room, an ice trail leading from him to Prometheus' feet. He struggled for a bit, and in a fit of anger threw his scythe toward Shouto. The attack was deflected however when Momo ran in front with a large metal shield and forced it back. Prometheus managed to catch his scythe, but he was starting to get angry.

"Don't think for a second that we're going to let you get away with this!" Momo shouted. Prometheus looked back at Pandora only to see her not only being held in place by Fumikage's Dark Shadow, but also a pair of arms and legs holding her limbs in a pin, reaching out from the darkness.

"You are messing with our friends! We will do whatever it takes to protect them!" Ochako spoke from behind the dark shadow, apparently being the one to add the additional restraint to Pandora.

"Oh wow… everyone…!" Izuku said. "Wait, where is Iida!?"

"He is reporting this all to All Might." Fumikage stated. "All Might can get Aizawa here to take care of this situation, so he figured it'd be best to get the authorities here as quickly as possible with his speed.

"All Might…?" Prometheus said. "So the fabled number one hero is here… shit." He knew full well what would happen if hero heroes started getting involved in droves; All Might may have been retried, but he was still a gateway into the entire hero organization just because of his reputation alone. He needed to act and fast before it could come to that.

Momo leapt to the side and Shouto unleashed a wave of flames toward Prometheus. He teleported out of the way, reappearing just above Pandora.

"Let go of her you son of a bitch!" Prometheus slammed his fist engulfed in crimson flames into Fumikage's Dark Shadow, causing an explosion when he did so, forcefully separating Pandora and Ochako from Fumikage, the two floating into the air. Ochako did her best to keep her hold strong, but Pandora discharged a large amount of electricity from her body and forced Ochako off. Momo caught Ochako as she fell, pulling her back out of the combat area.

"Are you ok?" Momo asked.

"Y-yeah… it just stings a bit…" Ochako replied. Pandora floated towards Prometheus to rejoin her brother.

"…This is going out of control very quickly, brother." Pandora said.

"I know… fucking hell…" Prometheus said.

"Should we retreat? One of them has gone for reinforcements." Pandora asked.

"…We can't waste this opportunity." Prometheus stated, standing up fully. "Even the odds." Pandora nodded at her brother's command, and slammed her staff into the ground, and a magic circle appeared. Ice covered the floor of the room and from it, several large knights made of ice spawned with swords drawn.

"Thunder and Ice… Fire and teleportation. These guys seem like a really nasty duo. Possibly a situation where they have both an esper ability and a quirk?" Kirishima said, hardening his body in preparation for combat.

"I'll have to explain later!" Izuku replied.

"Welcome to your own private frozen hell, kids!" Prometheus shouted. Pandora flew into the air near the ceiling and waved her staff. At her command, the knights animated and began to attack the heroes. Kirishima charged one of the knights and slammed his fist into the knight's torso. It cracked, but did not shatter.

The knight slammed it's sword down onto Kirishima with great force, causing Kirishima's body to sink into the ground when it hit him. However, the blade could not cut through Kirishima's hardening quirk; the two appeared to be at a stalemate. Prometheus unleashed a ball of fire into Kirishima's side, which exploded and knocked him back. Prometheus then appeared above Kirishima as he stood up and slammed his scythe down on top of him. Kirishima blocked it with his arms but Prometheus' strength quickly made itself known. It appeared that Prometheus wanted to force through Kirishima's guard and drive the scythe straight through Kirishima's eye.

He stopped however when Katsuki landed an explosion on Prometheus' back, causing him to cry out in pain. Izuku used the opportunity to rush in with One for All Full Cowl and kick Prometheus' across the face, launching him into a wall. Prometheus slammed into the wall, but landed on his feet, appearing agitated.

"You're starting to make me mad…!" Prometheus shouted, his hair starting to stand on end and his eyes started to glow. Prometheus' berserker magic was getting ready to activate.

"Hey Kirishima! Deku! Stay the hell out of this, god damn it!" Katsuki shouted angrily.

"Now is not the time to be demanding to fight someone solo, Kacchan!" Izuku shouted back. They didn't have time to discuss it further as Prometheus charged him, his body glowing red.

As they fought against the blazing berserker titan that was Prometheus, the others stood their ground against Pandora and her arcane magic.

"These knights are easily disposed of." Shouto announced as he unleashed a powerful wave of flames at them, the force of which shattered them almost instantly. Pandora looked unconcerned.

"What you destroy I can easily replace." She stated. With a wave of her staff the knights rematerialized, undamaged. "You face the knights of the bitter frozen north. Their eternal winter will be the last thing you will witness." The knights charged again, and were destroyed once more. From the mist created by the flames' contact with the ice, a bolt of lightning burst forth. Shouto was hit and was blasted back. A follow-up came but was blocked by Momo who held up her thick rubber-insulated tarp from the competition.

"I figured… this would come in handy later!" Momo said as she stood against the powerful electricity. Fumikage leapt into the air with Dark Ankh active and covering his body, attempting to use the distraction to assault Pandora. She was forced to halt her spell and create a wall of ice in front of her to block the aggression. However, Ochako had done the same behind, shortly after Fumikage did, and roundhouse kicked Pandora, her leg smashing into the side of Pandora's head as she dealt with Fumikage. Pandora hit the ground hard, but got up, a noticeable bruise on her cheek. Her face was hard, unwavering, as she floated back to her feet, and already began preparing another spell.

"Good hit." Fumikage complimented, landing next to Ochako.

"Not enough though…" Ochako replied. The group prepared as Pandora was starting to enter a rage state of her own.

Explosions rocked the room. Katsuki tried desperately to land a hit on Prometheus, who either managed to dodge or teleport away in response to his assaults.

"What's wrong? Can't seem to hit me huh!?" Prometheus mocked.

"Shut the hell up!" Katsuki shot back, once again failing an assault. Prometheus teleported behind Katsuki and hovered in the air for a moment, attempting to position himself to decapitate Katsuki. Kirishima however grabbed his legs and spun Prometheus around, throwing him into a wall. Prometheus shot back out and swung his blade, which Kirishima blocked. His hardening was apparently enough to prevent being slashed by the scythe, but Prometheus' strength was more than enough to launch Kirishima into a wall himself.

Prometheus was distracted however, and didn't notice both Izuku and Katsuki coming at him at the same time as he swung at Kirishima. Both slammed fists simultaneously into Prometheus' stomach. Katsuki triggered his explosion and Izuku used Full Cowl; the combined forces launching Prometheus backward, grinding along the frozen ground and breaking the ice under his feet until he hit the door into one of the room. After a short time, Prometheus emerged once more, grinning.

"Ok… alright… I have to give credit where it's due… you three together are a tad bit of a problem…!" Prometheus said. "So… lets mix things up a bit…!" Prometheus vanished, but did not appear next to or around the three he was fighting. Instead, he appeared behind an unsuspecting Shouto as he prepared an assault for Pandora.

"No! Todoroki!" Izuku shouted. Before Prometheus could deliver the blow however, Tenya suddenly appeared with great speed, kicking Prometheus away.

"More and more of you just pop up out of nowhere and it's pissing me off!" Prometheus shouted as he landed.

"Good shot Iida!" Kirishima shouted.

"Wait if you're here… then Aizawa is on his way!?" Izuku shouted happily. Tenya nodded. Izuku looked on at the entrance to the area however, and his face turned from happiness to shock. "A-All Might!?" W-what are you doing here!?"

"…Making sure you're all ok so Aizawa doesn't have a heart attack." All Might answered, scratching his chin. Before Izuku could protest, suddenly Prometheus shot up with a grin.

"All Might…!" Prometheus stated simply as he teleported, already in mid-swing. He appeared in front of All Might with his shoulder presented, ready to slash. 'The retired number one…! The one way to cut off the flood gates now… is to finish this retired bastard off!' He thought. His smirk faded when All Might suddenly grinned.

"I may only have five seconds… but that's more than enough for you in a position like that! Now you're going to eat a special in-door move I came up with but never got to use!" All Might said. Suddenly, All Might's entire form changed. He went from a scrawny man to a muscle-bound titan and a confident smile formed across his face, transforming into is previous heroic form as the Symbol of Peace.

'Shit…! It's still on cooldown…!" Prometheus thought, referring to his teleportation ability.

"Eat this! **New York SMASH!"** All Might punched forward, straight into Prometheus' shoulder blade. Prometheus was launched instantly into the wall with a loud crash. Almost immediately after however, All Might reverted to normal, coughing up blood in the process. The heroes in training rushed to All Might's side as Pandora flew to Prometheus.

"B-brother…!" She shouted as she pulled Prometheus to his feet. She could tell almost instantly; Prometheus' entire shoulder blade was shattered. His left arm hung limp as he struggled to cope with the pain.

"Damn… it… all…!" Prometheus struggled to speak. "I'm… going to…!" He tried to move forward but Pandora held him back.

"Brother, you can't!" She insisted. "You can't fight with just one arm like this…!"

"Like hell…!" Prometheus replied. "I'm not going to be done in like that…!"

"Brother, please! I… I can't stand to see you like this! Let's go, let me heal you, please!" Pandora was practically crying. Prometheus stopped struggling and looked back his older sister. His body seemed to relax as he sighed.

"…It looks that bad, huh?" Prometheus said simply as he wrapped his good arm around Pandora's body. "Alright, you win. Let's head back."

"Wait! What are you two planning to do!? What was the point of all of this!?" Izuku shouted, running forward.

"Doesn't matter now." Prometheus replied. "You better be ready, you pieces of shit. Tomorrow, this city burns to the ground!" Prometheus, without a word more, vanished without a trace with his sister.

The chaotic brawl in the Hotel was over.

But Prometheus was not wrong in his claim. The next day, the city would burn.


	16. Rebirth

**The beginning of the end... Enjoy!**

* * *

The chaotic night had finally ended with Prometheus and Pandora's retreat.

The city was put into lock-down as soon as the sudden attack was reported to Anti-Skill. To prevent assailants from escaping the city, all forms of terrorism result in all exits being closed and flights in and out being halted.

As much as Aizawa would like to depart from the city with his students, they needed to be held within the city for questioning in the pending investigation of the attack in the hotel. Control over the media allowed them to spin the story as if the attack was on a separate party, and the heroes in training merely got involved because of the proximity. This was desired to prevent accusations of the U.A. administration putting their students into danger similar to what happened with the situation with the League of Villains.

Aizawa argued that the tournament's final rounds should be put on hold or outright cancelled for his students' safety, but Academy City administration pushed back with the noting that they would be actually safer at the arena. Not only would it be difficult for those desiring to harm his students to break in un-noticed, but Academy City's own highest ranked espers were in attendance, most of which in the very waiting room his students would be residing. It was a tough call for Aizawa but he ultimately agreed.

In terms of power alone, the level 5 espers would probably be able to stand with most pro heroes. Though they lack the direct combat training pro heroes would have, their capabilities more than make up for it. Aizawa began to wonder Academy City's motives for hosting the tournament, pitting the youngest heroes against their strongest espers, and also questioned the principle of the U.A's decision in accepting the invitation.

It didn't matter a large amount in the end though. It was good training, like when they organized to have their students have a combat exercise with other pro heroes. The only real exception to this was the Accelerator, as he seemed to be an absolute titan of power in comparison to even the other level 5's. The only reasoning that made sense to Aizawa was that the administration crafted the competition in consideration that the rather anti-social Accelerator wouldn't wish to participate, but were blind-sided when he abruptly signed up.

But as said, it didn't seem to matter, especially to Aizawa's students. They all met their challenges with everything they had, and did rather well. Even against the Accelerator they stood tall against the challenge, even managing to pressure the number one esper in the second round. Although, only one of his students remained in the competition.

Izuku was facing the Accelerator. Fumikage managed to force Accelerator to show his power, and Ochako forced him to show his weakness. Now it was Izuku's job to make use of both of these factors and generate a victory. Win or lose, it would be a good test of his skill. But things didn't seem right regardless.

It felt like Academy City was keeping them here for unknown reasons. It didn't sit well with him at all. But while they were here, the city administrators called the shots, whether he liked it or not. So the best he could do was to protect his students with everything he had. They had relocated to a completely different hotel across the district and All Might and Aizawa took turns standing watch.

Nothing would get through to their students, not even Satan himself.

 **-Corporate Building-**

Prometheus and Pandora appeared inside the segregated section of the building they had cleared out for Gregory. It was still in the early hours of the morning, before sunrise.

Prometheus' shattered shoulder blade was simply too much for Pandora's healing magic. Both of their minor injuries were easily taken care of, but the complexity of bone structure just seemed to be too much. For now, all Pandora could do was put Prometheus' arm in a sling and use her magic to dampen the pain.

They searched for Gregory, who was nowhere to be found at first glance. They eventually found him in the executive offices with the windows blacked out, as if burned. Candles were lit and placed all over the room, with several defying gravity. Magic circles were drawn on the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. The circle's design matched but the symbols were different on each. Gregory sat with his back to the wall and his hands clasped together, and his eyes closed. He seemed to be chanting in some kind of language that neither Prometheus nor Pandora recognized.

One thing was clear however; he was channeling his mana into the magic circles all around the room. Remembering what few requirements that he understood, Prometheus remained silent. Pandora took notice of the darkness and used her magic to block the remaining light from the floor, turning all the glass windows into black slabs. Now, the only lights that remained were those of Gregory's candles. The only sounds that could be heard were the clicking of a clock in one of the other rooms.

The clock struck five in the morning. Outside, a small glimmer of the sun peaked over the horizon. Gregory's eye's snapped open and his chanting stopped. For a moment there was a sudden silence; not even the clock made noise. The air grew heavy. Finally, Gregory started to speak.

"Thy lord, hear my call." Gregory started. "The wax represents the body. The open flame represents the mind. The offering represents the soul." Gregory held out the Necronomicon and placed it in the center of the circle on the floor. It flew into the air shortly after, hovering in-between the center points of all the circles. "Jaws of death have claimed the essence of rebirth. Laws of life deny the cycle of infinity. Existence has erased its form." The flames from the candles stretched out towards the Necronomicon, surrounding it. "The Phoenix has fallen, and its ashes now lay lit. Take the offering and restore the natural order! Return the Millennial Phoenix so that the cycle of rebirth can be complete!"

The magic circles shone a bright red, sparking with magical power. The candles themselves stretched out towards the center to join the fire and grimoire, all three dancing around each other. The magic circles themselves seemed to lift off and take to the air, each one slowly approaching the center of the room. Without warning the circles all converted and slammed into the swirling materials in the center, and an explosion of golden flames erupted in all directions. The shockwave blew out every window on the floor of the building. The flames were wild, but did not harm any of those watching. The flames seemingly died down, but it was more along the lines of the flames compressing together into the form of a man.

The flames ceased and the man who was floating in the center of the room dropped to the floor. He appeared to be a fit male in his mid-thirties. His feet were bare, and wore baggy black pants that were held up by a cloth tied around his waist. His entire torso was covered in bandages, including his arms, and they only stopped at the base of his neck. His face was defined and his hair was a fiery red. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing them to be a shimmering gold. He landed on his feet and looked into his hands, opening and closing them repeatedly, as if testing out his body.

"So… I live once more." The man spoke; his voice was deep and commanding. He noticed Gregory bowing down behind him.

"Please… sir… is it truly you? I had not lived when you were last resurrected so I only know of you through tales and scripture…!" Gregory hesitantly asked. The man walked over to Gregory and grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him up into a standing position. The man smiled.

"Relax, my son." The man said. "You have succeeded in our ancient ritual. The man you see before you is indeed Hugo Japhet; he does indeed live again thanks to your sacrifice."

"O-oh my… M-Master Japhet…!" Gregory choked up, seemingly with joy. Hugo released Gregory and glanced at Prometheus and Pandora.

"…Who are they, my son?" Hugo asked simply.

"I-I'm sorry milord… our numbers have fallen dramatically over the years… I was the only one left capable of resurrecting you… I had to seek outside sources for assistance…" Gregory said. "M-make no mistake! I am a true follower… but my deed would have been impossible without them! Please do not harm them for not being a part of our order!"

"…I could not bear to bring harm to those who aided in my return, regardless of their officiation." Hugo said, approaching the duo. He turned his attention to Prometheus. "Tell me, what affliction has struck your arm?"

"…Smashed shoulder blade, probably." Prometheus answered.

"Hold still." Hugo said. A golden flame formed in his hand and he slammed it into Prometheus' broken side. He winced, anticipating pain, but relaxed when he didn't feel anything of the sort. The golden flame spread across his arm and back, covering it for a time, and after a moment, the flames vanished. Prometheus moved his arm reflexively upon noticing the flames disappear; it moved without issue, not even the slightest bit of pain.

Hugo Japhet had healed Prometheus.

"How the hell…!?" Prometheus was stunned.

"The rejuvenative properties of the Millennial Phoenix are just as potent to you as they are to me, as you can see." Hugo moved past the duo and stood at the shattered windows just outside the room, watching the sun-rise. Gregory followed him out. "…My son, what is your name?"

"G-Gregory! Gregory Augustine, at your service!" Gregory knelt down after announcing his name.

"A fine name… now tell me, there is a strange presence within me." Hugo started. "It calls out to those belonging to the afterlife, what is it?"

"It must be the Necronomicon, sir." Gregory replied. "I had to use it to gather up enough souls to force open the rift to the afterlife for the ritual for you to return. It must have bonded with you during the process of your revival."

"I see… so the dreaded book of the dead resides within my body? Yes… I can feel it… all of its pages and incarnations are like fond memories…" Hugo said. "I did not know this was possible, but I suppose with the Necronomicon's soul-holding properties it would only work with it alone… but it is most convenient."

"So… he can call for an army of darkness whenever he wants. Fun." Prometheus said.

"Now, one more question… where are we right now? This setting is… unfamiliar..." Hugo asked.

"We are within the walls of Academy City, milord. It is a twisted civilization that seeks the destruction of the world of magic, and manipulates and torments its inhabitants with sick experimentation every day! It is an abomination to humankind and should be wiped off the face of the Earth!" Gregory responded.

"Oho… I understand." Hugo smiled. "Not only can I revitalize our order, but give us a grand achievement that not even the Roman Catholics will be able to deny. Destruction of magic's mortal enemy…!"

"Yes sir!" Gregory replied.

"Good… good… your plan is sound. Truly, in desperate times will we make our grandest of accomplishments." Hugo turned toward the three behind him. "Tell me, you gathered these souls from a graveyard, yes? Could you take me to it?"

"Yes but… we won't be able to leave with being noticed!" Gregory replied.

"Then let them gaze in awe." Two flames burst from Hugo's back, forming into a large set of bird-like wings, composed entirely of golden flames.

"…So, this is the guy who can burn this city to the ground huh…" Prometheus said, smirking with excitement.

"Let us depart; we have much to do with little time." Hugo simply said, holding out his hand toward the three, signaling them to follow.

 **-Several Hours later, Arena Waiting Room-**

"Ok… ok… I can do this…" Izuku said to himself, trying to concentrate. Due to an incident in the early morning at one of the many corporate buildings, the start of the semi-finals was delayed to allow Anti-Skill to investigate the arena for any possibility of tampering from outside sources. The incident at the hotel and the corporate building were being treated as terrorist activity, so Academy City executives weren't taking any chances.

In the meantime, Izuku was having Ochako try to teach him how exactly she was able to break through Accelerator's defenses.

"Keep practicing; because of the sudden stop it will lower the offensive force you deliver, but I think with your quirk that won't be much of an issue." Ochako said. "Just follow my moves… I've only been able to figure it out with punches; I doubt kicks will be able to do it."

"Right… follow your moves…" Izuku said, trying to mimic Ochako's movements. She went purposefully slow to try and display exactly how to perform the technique, then went faster to display the application.

Izuku was just barely grasping the concept, but was making progress. It was very clear that hand-to-hand combat technique came much more naturally to Ochako than Izuku.

"Maybe… when we get back, I can ask Gunhead to give you some proper hand-to-hand training… I feel like it'd benefit you a lot to learn." Ochako mused.

"I've always thought about it… I've been trying to train myself on my own when I can, but I guess there is a limit to how much I can do on my own." Izuku replied.

"You are trying to change things up with your fighting style… but I think the experience would be good for you. Take what they teach you and make it your own!" Ochako cheerfully said.

"Thanks, and I'll accept it if Gunhead wants to help me out." Izuku replied with a smile. "But for now, I think I should focus on Uraraka-sensei! She is the one teaching me something important right now!" Ochako blushed red and turned away with a small pout.

"S-stop saying such embarrassing things!" Ochako said. Izuku only laughed in response. Ochako eventually softened up and smiled back. "Alright, we will take it from the top! Remember, follow my moves, and then execute!"

"You don't want him watching too closely, or he might get mesmerized by your womanly curves. If that were to happen it might awaken a beast the likes you have never seen!" Misaki jokingly commented as she approached the couple, both of which had turned red.

"Y-you need to stop making accusations like that…" Izuku said.

"Oh? But I've heard that almost all high school boys have so much pent up frustration from their raging hormones of adolescence that they'll go after anything female that moves… maybe I'm mistaken?" Misaki replied.

"I am not like that!" Izuku stated turning redder. "Seriously, what do you think this is? Some kind of porn story? Get out of here with that!"

"Relax, I'm only kidding." Misaki waved Izuku off. "I heard a rumor about a certain boy and girl having a wonderful time at an arcade and then a restaurant; I am merely inquiring as to how will it went?"

"It went great, thank you." Ochako responded sternly.

"By great do you mean that you will do it again? Or by great do you mean you are now expecting?" Misaki joked. Ochako blushed but appeared to be irritated.

"…We will do it again." Ochako answered. "Seriously, we're just testing the waters. We have to make sure it's the right thing for us before we just dive in…"

"A well thought out position! Your intellectual-power is quite amazing indeed. Even those mutually attracted to each other can be incompatible lovers after all." Misaki answered. "Well it seems that you have everything under control, so I shall take a seat and wait for the entertainment to begin. Be sure to put up a good fight against the number one, ok?"

"…Hey, hold on a second." Izuku called out.

"Ho? Need something of me after all?" Misaki asked.

"Well… we discovered something weird yesterday while we were out." Izuku started. "We met up with Kamijou at the restaurant we went to, and he has a really hard time remembering you for some reason; you wouldn't happen to know why, would you?" Misaki appeared shaken for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

"…I recall learning through my information ability that sometime last year he lost a large sum of his memories from his life… I did know him prior to that event, so it would only make sense that those memories are gone now." Misaki said. "Please keep that a secret; he doesn't want people to know that; it's the path of life he's chosen."

"I see… I understand that… must be a rough secret to keep…" Izuku said. "But what I actually meant is that he can't remember you even after seeing you in this room. It's kind of weird; as it seems to be specifically you he can't remember." Izuku said.

"Yeah… it seemed like he was genuinely trying to remember. He apparently started to get a headache trying. I think it seemed like the answer he was looking for was right out of his reach." Ochako added. The smile on Misaki's face started to fade as she bit on her lip gently.

"Oh… so trying to remember me now is going as far as to hurt him then… that's unfortunate." Misaki said, looking away from the couple. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bring me up in conversation around him then. I would hate to be responsible for hurting him again, after all…"

"Again, huh?" Ochako questioned deviously. Misaki started to grow worried. "So you two have had some involvement before besides just a few meetings as acquaintances, huh…?"

"P-please don't let this be some kind of weird revenge plot…!" Misaki asked nervously.

"…I dare say we got something on her, Deku." Ochako said.

"Looks like it…" Izuku replied.

"W-well… it's an old story… I don't really want to talk about it so…" Misaki trailed off and looked away again, one of her hands slowly slipping into her handbag. Ochako grabbed her hand before she could pull out a remote.

"No alterations for you!" Ochako grinned. It felt a little nice to have some sort of knowledge about Misaki after the taunting she put her through, so Ochako didn't want to forget it anytime soon.

"…Hey guys, clam down." Izuku rubbed his neck. "Seriously… I just want to know exactly what's happening. That massive memory loss he had is bad, but this seems specific when it comes to you… I understand if it's personal… but if you can tell us, maybe we can help."

"…Sadly, it's not something you can assist me with, as much as I wish you could." Misaki answered glumly. She pulled her hand out of her bag and Ochako released her. "Ok… how to put it… his long-term memory storage has been damaged, and because of that, his brain cannot make memories of me."

"But… how does that even happen? And why specifically you?" Izuku questioned.

"…My ability works on the bases of controlling the secretion of chemicals in the brain via the control of blood distribution, cerebrospinal fluid, and various other chemicals inside one's brain to manipulate bio-electricity, which governs all of the aspects of one's mind and thus, the body." Misaki said. "Basically, I control the fluids in your brain and control it and your body, for a short-hand version anyway."

"I see… I'm starting to not like where this is going…" Ochako said.

"Basically, he saved me a long time ago. But because of that, he was horribly injured, and was in the process of bleeding out. I used my ability to force his brain to keep his blood flow steady so he could survive… but doing so when he was already low on blood had adverse effects on him, damaging his long-term memory…" Misaki finished.

"I see… that's terrible…" Izuku said. "So no matter how many times you meet… he won't ever remember you? Not even with your ability?"

"Because of his Imagine Breaker, what I am able to do to his brain is limited… basically I only have access to telepathy and mind-reading, and even those are more than a little difficult. But… I've made it a personal rule to never look into his mind." Misaki said. "Memory manipulation is out of the question because of his Imagine Breaker… and I'm not sure if I could fix the problem even if I had access to it…"

"I'm guessing because of the complexities of the mind… surgery is also not an option…" Ochako asked.

"It's also rather difficult to convince someone who no longer knows who you are to fix a brain injury you are no longer aware of because of my involvement with it." Misaki sighed, sitting down. "I theorize that it is perhaps the AIM field that I emit due to my status as an esper what disrupts his brain and triggers the disability… if I suddenly became a powerless level 0, I wonder if he would be able to make memories of me again…"

"Would you do it, even if it was possible…?" Izuku asked.

"Instantly." She answered. "There would be no hesitation in my mind."

"He must be really important to you…" Ochako commented.

"He is my prince." Misaki answered. "He is irreplaceable… and yet he's off around with other women like Misaka and I don't stand a chance of raising a flag because he can't ever remember me." Misaki pouted.

"Misaki is jealous…" Ochako joked.

"Shut it or I'll make you dreadfully fearful of clothing. You as a nudist sound amusing…" Misaki's eyes looked evil. "I could also ramp up your emotions for Izuku-kun to levels you only thought imaginable… you thought what you felt now was hard to control? Just wait until I'm done with you…!"

"R-right! I'm sorry! Please don't!" Ochako pleaded. Misaki seemed amused.

"Seems like Kamijou has been through a lot…" Izuku commented.

"He has." Misaki answered. "The fate of a hero is not always one of glory. Be careful." She stood up, adjusting her handbag.

"I don't need you to tell me that." Izuku replied with a smile. Misaki smiled back.

"Two things." Misaki said. "This stays between us. Don't think for a second that I'll forget we've had this talk. Unlike my prince, my memory is quite perfect."

"S-sure! No problem!" Izuku said, fearful of what kind of havoc Misaki could wreak inside his mind.

"And secondly… the world of heroes and quirks is quite unknown to me." Misaki said. "If you discover some kind of way to fix what has been destroyed in his mind, please do tell me. I'll pay any price you ask."

"A-Any price…?" Izuku questioned. Misaki merely grinned.

"Of course… all these girls, most of which you don't know, flood all around him, even if he doesn't notice it." Misaki started. "But he is MY prince. And the moment I can, I will make sure every other woman in the world knows their place… and make him go from my prince to my king if you understand my meaning..."

"S-scary… no mercy, huh…?" Ochako questioned. Misaki put a finger to her chin to think for a moment.

"Well… maybe he could have a side girl or two, since there are some who have properly earned a place next to him, but that's for him to decide if he wants multiple women." Misaki thought out loud. "As long as I'm the queen of his heart, I really don't mind sharing I guess."

"…Everything for his happiness, huh?" Izuku asked.

"Now you're starting to understand me a little bit. I'm not so bad, am I?" Misaki winked at him, and then she waved goodbye and promptly left the room.

"…She's the type of girl who shouldn't be messed with." Izuku said.

"I agree entirely…" Ochako added. The speaker in the room suddenly kicked on.

It was finally time for the semi-final round.


	17. Hero

**And now Izuku Fights Accelerator... Enjoy!**

* * *

Izuku gulped as he stood in place, waiting for the announcer to start the match. If he wasn't nervous before, he was now; facing the inevitability that was Accelerator.

In the world of heroes, All Might was considered the strongest.

In the world of espers, Accelerator was considered the strongest.

Though they were nothing alike, even in terms of their abilities, the held the same title in their respective realms of consideration. Right now, Izuku held All Might's power, but could only use 5% of it; any higher and he stood the possibility of losing control and hurting himself. At the same time however, Accelerator had full access to his full potential.

Or so he thought. Izuku had no idea about that the electrode on his neck was designed to connect to the Misaka-Network to do his calculations, which only stood at roughly 40% his full calculating potential prior to his brain injury, or its 30 minute time limit.

He didn't know it, but if he could last at least 30 minutes against Accelerator, victory was his. At least, it would be as long as Accelerator didn't enter his awakened state.

Ochako watched from the waiting room, appearing worried. She knew firsthand how powerful Accelerator was, and how ineffective direct attacks were. She did her best to teach him the technique and now it was Izuku's time to use it. Her heart thumped in her chest.

It wasn't like before, where she had absolute confidence in Izuku's abilities. Something about feeling Accelerator's power herself put doubt into her heart. That power was frightening; it felt like he could kill her at any moment, and that it was only the terms of the competition that saved her from that fate. And now someone she cared about, possibly even loved, was facing that exact same terrifying ability.

It didn't help at all that various other emotions that were burying her affection for Izuku were suddenly starting to show themselves again.

She clasped her hands together as she watched, the thumping in her chest not slowing down in the slightest. Suddenly, a hand from behind patted her on the head.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Touma asked after getting Ochako's attention. "Something bothering you?"

"K-kyaa!" Ochako shouted, flipping around in a combat stance. Touma involuntarily flinched and backed up. "D-Don't sneak up on me like that!

"Y-you're the one spacing out so much that you weren't paying attention!" Touma shot back. "I had to do that just to snap you out of it!"

"R-really…?" Ochako asked. She then laughed nervously, relaxing her stance. "S-sorry… I'm a little bit wound up…" Ochako rubbed her neck nervously, embarrassed by her sudden outburst. Touma sighed and relaxed himself.

"It's fine… now what's wrong?" Touma asked.

"Well… I'm just worried about Deku… I guess…" Ochako admitted.

"Oh I see… yeah Accelerator can be scary when you first meet him, especially in a fight." Touma said, moving to the window to watch the match himself. "I can't say you have nothing to worry about… but I'm sure Midoriya will do fine. Accelerator won't significantly hurt him in public like this. Even if he does get hurt, it shouldn't be too bad; nothing permanent at least."

"Are you sure?" Ochako asked carefully.

"Yeah I'm sure. Accelerator got roped into this kind of like I did. He wouldn't want to start a witch hunt by causing a major injury to someone." Touma replied.

"I see…" Ochako turned back toward the arena floor, still looking uncomfortable.

"You sure that's all? Kind of seems like something else is eating at you." Touma asked.

"Well… I guess you could say…" Ochako trailed off. "…I'm a little bit jealous."

"Of Midoriya?" Touma asked. Ochako nodded. "Why? You two seem like you get along fairly well if your considering dating." Ochako blushed red for a moment, and then sighed as it faded.

"He's just so strong and determined." Ochako answered. "It's really amazing, but I can't help but be jealous. He keeps striving forward focused on his goal; sometimes I'm so amazed by it I can't help but stand there and watch… even though I want to progress as far as he does. Sometimes I feel like I'm trailing behind him so far that the gap seems impossible to bridge…"

"A little bit of jealousy isn't that bad. It's kind of normal actually." Touma said. Ochako shook her head.

"It's more than that… I…" Ochako took a deep breath. "I'm trying to become a full-fledged hero for my parents sake… they pushed me into it, but I want to help them since they've been struggling… so I want to become a pro hero so I can support them. But each time I see Deku fight… I feel so far behind I can't stand it. I just watch in awe of him constantly pushing forward… and it upsets me. My emotions keep getting in the way…"

"Welcome to the world of adolescence! Where you're constantly comparing yourself to others and feel like you don't matter in the world, Nya!" Tsuchimikado suddenly joined the conversation, wrapping an arm around Ochako.

"…I'm still angry, you know." Ochako warned. Tsuchimikado waved her off.

"Nya! No worries, that was part of your initiation to the crew. Right Kami-yan?" Tsuchimikado said.

"…If you punch him, break a tooth." Touma replied.

"Understood." Ochako said, punching a fist into her open palm.

"Hey, clam down a little bit, I'm trying to help!" Tsuchimikado started. "You're standing with the top dogs in the city and you're feeling inadequate anyway, right?" Tsuchimikado asked.

"…Make your point already." Ochako sighed.

"Well, you may feel like you're so far behind Izuku-chan that becoming a hero feels impossible… but look out there. The reason he isn't twitching up a storm of fear is because of you." Tsuchimikado pointed towards Izuku. "You figured out the trick to fight Accelerator. Sure the number one told you, but he told you because you impressed him with your own ability. And without you doing that, figuring out how exactly to do it, and teaching Izuku-chan how to do it, his chance of victory would be absolute zero. In essence, win or lose, the only reason he stands a chance here at all is you."

"Do you… really think so?" Ochako asked.

"Truth is right in front of you, right? Don't go saying he's astronomically better than you when it's obvious he needs you to progress himself. Probably more than he is willing to admit; he's the kind of guy who really cares about what his friend's think of him." Tsuchimikado said. Ochako smiled a bit.

"…Thanks for that." She turned towards the arena field, the announcer had started to hype up the audience like he usually did before a match. "Honestly, when I asked Deku out… I was kind of hoping that Misaki would have been messing with me… that he'd reject me so I could move on… but when he said yes I was kind of overwhelmed so I went with it… it felt really good but I was constantly questioning if it was the right thing to do for my progress to indulge in my personal fantasy's like that."

"Sounds like you did the right thing to me." Touma said. "Doing stuff for other's sake is fine, but if you're not happy in the end, it really doesn't matter. You'll just end up breaking yourself for it."

"Yeah. If you want to be one of the top pro heroes? Do it; use everything at your disposal to make it happen. Cheat if you have to. But… under no circumstances should you ever have to sacrifice your own happiness for it. You're doing it for your parents, right? Well, they probably pushed you into it because they wanted you to be happy; they'd probably feel like crap if you were miserable for their sake, even if they benefited from it." Tsuchimikado commented. Ochako looked down, thinking.

"Hey; no using parents as a weapon in an argument." Touma said.

"All is fair in love and war!" Tsuchimikado replied.

"Then I'll start using your sister from now on when you start giving me lip." Touma shot back.

"…You stay away from my sister." Tsuchimikado threatened with a sudden seriousness.

"All is fair in love and war, you damn sis-con." Touma imitated Tsuchimikado's voice in mockery. Before the two could come to blows themselves, Ochako suddenly started laughing.

"You two… are quiet the duo, huh?" Ochako looked up with a smile.

"…He save's my ass, and I save his. It's kind of the dynamic we have." Touma said.

"It's true; we are the ultimate unstoppable combination. Though I kick his ass in a fight." Tsuchimikado said.

"Hey…" Touma protested.

"You should see us when Aogami is here! Then our power is absolutely unstopable!" Tsuchimikado added.

"No one deserves seeing that!" Touma shouted. Ochako laughed again.

"…Thanks you two." Ochako said. "I really needed that pep talk."

"Hey, we're all in the magical age of clouded emotions, thoughts, and bad decisions. We got to help each other out or we'll never get out alive!" Tsuchimikado replied.

"Besides… what are friends for?" Touma added. Ochako smiled wide, reveling in the suddenly clarity in both her heart and mind. "Just remember what I said about keeping it PG-13; your emotions might hit a fever pitch when you two are close but try to keep some self-control."

"S-shut up! I-I know that!" Ochako blushed red, but she smiled in response anyway.

"Hey! It looks like the announcer is getting ready to start!" Tsuchimikado said. The trio looked back towards the arena field, watching the two contenders closely. Though Ochako was still somewhat worried about Izuku's safety, everything else was clear to her for the first time in a while.

Izuku and her would get out of this competition, and get back home. Then, they'll have plenty of time to sort everything out about herself, about him, and then about each other.

"Alright! Enough waiting around! We just got word that the final security checks are done and we are set to let this fight explode!" The announcer shouted. "Now… it is time! Midoriya Izuku versus the Accelerator! Begin!"

Izuku charged forward and attacked, and his assault was instantly reflected when Accelerator turned on his electrode. The force launched Izuku backward rolling, eventually stopping on his back, lying down on the arena floor.

"…The fuck was that?" Accelerator asked. He narrowed his eyes as Izuku didn't seem to move initially. "…Is this your way of throwing the match or something? What a waste of time."

"…No." Izuku answered, jumping back onto his feet. "I had to feel it, that's all."

"Feel what?"

"Your ability." Izuku answered, looking up. "Your reflection is amazing. Nothing got through… I'm not sure if One for All could break it. But… I've been given this opportunity, and I can't let it go to waste."

"…I've gotten tired of this piece of shit tournament." Accelerator announced, taking his hands out of his pockets. "Here's the deal. This is the one chance I'm going to give you before things get heated; give up. Or else I'm going to kill you." Accelerator grinned and opened up his arms, almost as if he was welcoming the next attack. "But if you want to die, go on… hit me. Use everything you have so I can see the look on your face when it fails!"

Izuku charged again, activate Full Cowl. He jumped into the air, appearing to drop kick Accelerator. But, it fell short, hitting the ground just in front of Accelerator, destroying the pavement and kicking up a cloud of dust that covered the two.

"…Trying to psyche me out huh? That isn't going to work." Accelerator mocked. He heard footsteps coming from his left, but didn't move. Whatever was coming, it would be reflected. Not even an nuclear bomb could piece his ability. This kid beating the number seven didn't matter at all to him; no matter how much kinetic energy he could put out, Accelerator's ability would reflect it.

Izuku got close, and threw a fist. Accelerator looked in Izuku's direction, only to briefly see Izuku's fist stop for a very brief moment, then continue, sparking red, and smash into the side of his face uncontested.

Accelerator flew out of the dust cloud, grinding along the ground until Accelerator smashed his right hand downward, unleashing a shockwave to stop himself. Izuku stood in the dust cloud as it settled in some kind of fighting stance.

"I'm not going to lose here." Izuku announced. "I can't; not when everyone is counting on me! Even if it's against you, the absolute strongest, I won't lose to you!" Izuku stood firm as he shouted. Accelerator's eye's narrowed as he got up to his feet.

"So… that bitch was able to teach you after all." Accelerator said, and then he grinned. "Fine. No more games." Accelerator suddenly shot forward, his hands outstretched, seemingly aiming for Izuku's throat.

'He's attacking… and so fast!' Izuku just narrowly managed to dodge the attack by leaping to the side. He turned toward Accelerator afterward but he was already in the air, diving kicking toward Izuku. He jumped back and Accelerator's foot hit the pavement with surprising force, unleashing a shockwave in all directions, knocking him back. Izuku landed a fair distance away, panting.

He didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, but he was scared out of his mind. The number one esper was actually trying to attack him. In previous matches, Accelerator had more or less barely even attempted combat, and when he did it was completely half-heartedly. This was different. Every attack felt calculated. The force was overwhelming; more than enough to kill a person.

Every attack felt like if they would hit Izuku, his life would end.

"Not bad. Let's keep going!" Accelerator shouted, cackling like a jackal. Two massive whirlwinds erupted from Accelerator's back, appearing more like miniature tornados, and raced toward Izuku from across the ring. Izuku sped forward, just narrowly dodging the attack, running straight for Accelerator. He stomped the ground, breaking apart a large section of the ring and causing several chunks of concrete to fly into the air, only to be shot towards Izuku when Accelerator touched them. Izuku did his best to dodge, but was hit several times. However, he continued his rapid march toward the number one.

When he got close, Accelerator flung his arm across horizontally, attempting to slam it into Izuku. He ducked however, and using the technique Ochako taught him, uppercut Accelerator, knocking him up into the air just a little. Using the opportunity, Izuku active Full Cowl again.

" **5% Detroit Smash!"** Izuku shouted. Once again using the technique, Izuku smashed his fist into Accelerator's stomach, launching him out of the ring. However, before Accelerator could hit the wall, he unleashed four whirlwinds that erupted form his back, the force of their appearance canceling out the momentum. He outright flew back toward Izuku, clawing at him with his fingers, but Izuku just barely managed to dodge.

Izuku managed to jump back, but one of Accelerator's whirlwinds slammed into him, throwing him into the air. Before Izuku could recover, Accelerator was above him, and slammed an elbow into Izuku's back. The force was amped up exponentially, knocking Izuku into the ground almost instantly. Accelerator came back down and slammed his foot into Izuku's back, pushing him deeper into the concrete floor with a loud crash. Accelerator then flew backward and landed a fair distance away.

Izuku didn't move; his body partially buried in the pieces of concrete. Accelerator clicked his teeth.

"Too bad. I was actually starting to have a little bit of fun. Oh well." Accelerator started to walk away. He stopped when he heard the sound of moving rocks hitting the cement. "…You should stay down. If you can walk after your spine taking hits like that, it's time to consider yourself lucky and withdraw."

"I… can't give up here…!" Izuku said, slowly pushing himself to his feet.

"I'll kill you. You realize that right?" Accelerator turned to face Izuku. "I stopped fooling round a while ago. If you keep pushing this, I will kill you. Even if I don't want to, your body won't be able to take it." Izuku gritted his teeth, but it slowly turned into a smile as he stared down Accelerator.

"Go ahead and try." Izuku replied. He stood ready, his eyes filled with determination. Accelerator's face twisted in annoyance.

"You're making a big mistake." Accelerator threatened.

"Isn't the first… and it won't be the last." Izuku replied confidently.

"Smug bastard…!" Accelerator rushed Izuku in a flash, attempting to drive his hand into Izuku's chest. He met Accelerator's attack with an upward punch, sending Accelerator's hand upward, and then used his other to sock Accelerator in the face, forcing him back. The number one stomped the ground, sending up a piece of concrete and launched it at Izuku. He held out his arms across his body to block it, and the concrete shattered when it hit him, forcing him back. Accelerator rushed and promptly slammed a punch of his own into Izuku's stomach, launching him back and forcing him to cough. He landed on his feet but his body was shaking as it reeled from the assault.

"Damn…!" Izuku cursed under his breath. "After all that big talk it'd look really bad to lose here, huh…"

"That's right…" Accelerator replied. "But look on the bright side' you managed to hurt me. Not just hit me; but actually managed to hurt this body of mine. That alone is quite the achievement that many people in this city wish they could perform. Bravo. But I'm afraid it's time for this to end."

"…You're right." Izuku smiled again. "You know, I've learned something in this competition…"

"Oh? What's that?" Accelerator asked.

"You're greatest opponent… will never be the person who opposes you." Izuku said simply, looking up. "It will always be your own weakness. That will be a person's greatest enemy."

"Nice philosophy, but that doesn't exactly help you here, does it?" Accelerator commented.

"Of course it does… I'm about to blow my own weakness out of the water, even if this body of mine breaks because of it!" Izuku clenched his right fist as he got into a stance. "Come on, I'm going to use everything I got! Let's end this!"

"Famous last words." Accelerator stated. He shot towards Izuku, appearing in front of him almost instantly. Accelerator aimed to drive his hand into Izuku's chest, but he slammed his left hand into Accelerator's arm, knocking it aside. Accelerator then when for a more traditional punch, aiming straight for Izuku's head. In this instance, Izuku made the choice to meet Accelerator's attack with his own, throwing a bright red glowing fist forward.

" **100% Detroit Smash!"** The attacks collided. Izuku's capability to use the technique to bypass Accelerator's reflection held true, the overwhelming force launching Accelerator out of the ring again. Once again, Izuku's arm did not break, but once again a massive pain shot up through his entire arm, almost paralyzing in intensity alone. Accelerator flew back and slammed into a wall, using his ability to negate the impact and causing the wall to shatter, but the damage was done.

Accelerator's own arm seemed to be fine, a bit extremely sore from the impact, possibly his own offensive force dampening the inflicted damage, but the deed was done. The moment he hit that wall, he had lost the tournament. Accelerator wanted to look angry, but couldn't seem to bring himself to that. He didn't want to be part of the tournament anyway, so in a sense Izuku did him a favor.

Plus… he just found himself a new interesting opponent.

"And with that, it is proven that those at the top of the mountain can be defeated! Izuku Midoriya advances to the final round!" The announcer shouted. Izuku barely had time to be excited before his exhaustion and Injuries caught up with him, and he fell forward, unconscious.

 **-A Short Time Later, Waiting Room-**

"Huh… what…?" Izuku tried to sit up, but female hands pushed him back down gently.

"Sit still Deku." Ochako said. He seemed to be lying down on the floor with a few pillows and blankets under him. The room seemed to have is arrangement changed, as several tables were around him, and various objects were placed meticulously across the tables and floors. When he looked around, he saw Index seeming preforming the rearrangement.

"Index…? Huh…?" Izuku was confused.

"She was watching the tournament. She managed to sneak her way inside without many people noticing." Touma answered.

"I saw your fight; I figured you might be hurt really badly." Index said as she continued to rearrange things. "So I came down to try and help with some healing magic, since you're a friend of Touma's."

"Healing magic…?" Izuku asked.

"Yes, I'm making the important points of a circle around you to act as a channeling point." Index said. "I don't have mana myself… but I can instruct others how to perform it and assist with the ritual."

"I see… who will be casting it then?" Izuku asked.

"I… volunteered." Ochako said, scratching her cheek. "I've… never done magic before… and we don't know how a Quirk user will react to it… but I'm sure it will be fine!"

"I don't recall Quirk users being restricted when it comes to magic… though this will be the first time it is done that I can recall." Index said. "If things start to look bad, we will stop immediately."

"I see…" Izuku turned toward Ochako. "Are… you sure?" Ochako nodded.

"Of course!" She said. "Besides… if this works out… I might invest some more time with magic! Give myself a special edge in the hero-ing world!"

"A hero who uses a quirk and magic… remind me not to get you mad…" Izuku laughed a little. Ochako smiled wide.

"…You sure this magic stuff is going to work?" Kirishima asked.

"No idea. Midoriya tried to explain it to us… all we can do is trust him and this Index girl I suppose." Katsuki clicked his teeth.

"Personally, I think it's a load of- hey!" Katsuki suddenly shouted when Index abruptly threw a can of something at him. Index looked back with an annoyed glare then went back to work.

"Guess… we shouldn't question it?" Momo commented. Katsuki made the can explode with his quirk in a fit of anger.

"I stopped questioning it during World War Three…" Mikoto stated simply.

"So… I'm guessing that there was a delay again…?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah… you guys kind of wreaked the place. Accelerator destroyed one of the walls so that needs replaced too.

"…Where is Accelerator?" Izuku asked.

"I asked him if he wanted to be healed…" Index started. "He just said no and refused to talk to me after that. After a while he left."

"He probably went home…" Touma said. "He doesn't like the general public anyway."

"Makes sense…" Izuku said, before letting own a yawn. He suddenly felt very sleepy.

"You can rest of you want. The spell shouldn't disturb you." Index said, putting her finishing touches in place.

Izuku simply nodded, barely thinking about his victory. The lack of sleep from the night before finally caught up with him as he laid himself back down and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.


	18. Fire

**Well... Things got controversial last time, eh? I'm not too worried about the negative reception, but I do accept constructive criticism. So If there is something you think doesn't make much sense, call me out on it. If it doesn't break story-flow, i'll take it into account.**

 **That being said; I don't like just bashing stuff without offering that requested constructive criticism. I understand being not satisfied and wanting to vent because of that, but try to be helpful as well, alright?**

 **As for the question of whether Accelerator let himself be defeated so he could get out of the tournament? I'll leave that up to your interpretation, though the clues of him constantly giving tips on how the beat him do lean one way, doesn't it? I can't spell everything out for you.**

 **Anyway, I Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"That's good… you managed to pull it off, Ochako! I'm impressed!" Index said. Ochako was lying on her own back, appearing exhausted.

"You'll have to excuse Index… she's European; they go on a given name basis over there." Touma said.

"I-its fine, I don't mind… T-thanks… that was tiring though…" Ochako said in huffs.

"You're probably just tired because your mana stores are low…" Index said. "You've never tried magic before so it's natural that you'd go overboard. With practice you can work on it, and even expand how much mana your body can contain!" Index finished with a proud huff.

"I see… it seems like I should hold off on learning it until I have more free time in my life…" Ochako sat up. "Classes seem like they are going to get more intense later down the line…"

"Makes sense… magic takes large amounts of devotion and practice to get it right apparently." Touma said. "Sometimes you have to pick your battles; can't win them all."

"Still… I'm not crossing it off the list just yet!" Ochako cheerfully said. "So… is Deku going to be ok?"

"Should be more than ok." Index said. "Healing magic of this nature is very powerful; even long standing conditions should be affected."

"It looks like some of the scars and deformations on his hands are a lot better than before…" Ochako said as she examined Deku.

"Makes sense. I'd say he could make a complete recovery of whatever conditions he has after a few more rounds…" Index said. "But magic of this caliber should only be used in circumstances like this; it's not a spa treatment! Overuse when he's not heavily injured could lead to complications."

"I understand." Ochako nodded.

"Other than that, he should be better than ever when he wakes up!" Index said cheerfully.

"Huh… you don't say." Kirishima leaned in closer to inspect Izuku's body himself. "…Well whatever that light was it didn't kill him."

"Quirks, magic, and esper power. You learn a new force that runs the world every day it seems like." Fumikage commented.

"Still… if it is indeed magic… it opens up some new doors we didn't know existed… interesting…" Tenya said, rubbing his chin.

"I still don't buy it… seems like horseshit to me." Katsuki huffed. He didn't seem to buy it even after the cemetery incident.

"Of course it doesn't make sense to you. You're an uncultured neanderthal who barely knows left from right, even when it's right in front of you." Index stated.

"What did you just say to me you bitch!?" Katsuki shouted, picking Index up by the collar of her robes. "I better hear a change in tune really quick, or else!" he threatened.

Index immediately opened up her mouth wide… and bit the hand Katsuki was holding her up with.

"GAH! What the hell!? Get off of me!" Katsuki shouted, trying to pry the iron jaws of index from his hand. Each time Katsuki would somewhat pry Index's mouth open, she would bite back down twice as hard as before, causing Katsuki even more pain.

"I knew that was going to happen…" Touma sighed.

"Why didn't you try and stop it then?" Momo questioned.

"Because I would have been bitten instead." Touma answered simply.

"Index is Kami-yan's roommate after all, nya!" Tsuchimikado added. "He knows her quite well. They have become extremely… intimate!"

"One, you're wrong. Two, you're making that sound dirty on purpose!" Touma shouted.

"Oh no, whatever shall I do? I've been found out, nya!" Tsuchimikado mocked. Touma started to look angry when a bolt of electricity shot past him.

"You should hold onto that anger you know… you're going to need it for when we fight next!" Mikoto shouted confidently.

"Ah… right… I'm fighting Misaka next…" Touma said. "…Such misfortune."

"Hey! Don't talk like I'm just an inconvenience!" Mikoto shouted.

"But you are. You're always attacking and trying to zap me!" Touma shot back.

"N-not… recently!" Was the best defense Mikoto had access to. Touma sighed.

"Listen… you want to win this argument? Prove me wrong." He stated.

"Huh?" Mikoto was suddenly confused.

"Prove me wrong." Touma repeated. "Let's see… you're always calling me an idiot and insulting me. Give me one genuine compliment and I'll back off and agree that you're not inconvenient to run into."

"G-g-genuine compliment!?" Mikoto stuttered out. "W-what kind of challenge is that!?"

"You're not scared, are you?" Touma asked.

"N-no! Of course not!" Mikoto shouted.

"Then I'm waiting! Compliment me!" Touma said.

"F-fine! I will! You! You. You…." Mikoto trailed off as her embarrassment caught up with her.

"Watching these two go at it all the time… it's like an old married couple." Momo commented.

"It's kind of exciting though! Makes you wonder if Kamijou will realize Misaka's emotions and seek out the happy ending!" Ochako added.

"Stupid short hair…" Index, who recently finally released Katsuki, commented with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Well, I'm waiting." Touma said impatiently.

"S-shut up! Give me a minute!" Mikoto protested, seemingly struggling to speak. "You…. Uh… Y-you… h-h-have… r-really cool hair…!" Mikoto squeaked out.

"What's that? I can't hear you." Touma said. Mikoto gritted her teeth.

"I-I said your spiked hair is really cool! When I see other people with the same look it reminds me of you!" Mikoto shouted quickly, covering her mouth when she realized what she said, blushing a deep shade of red.

"…Really?" Touma asked in a surprised tone. "I kind of just gel it because I like the look of it… does it actually cool good to you?" Touma asked, pulling on one of the strands of his spikey black hair.

"Y-yeah! I've always wanted to touch it!" Mikoto shouted in a rushed response again, once again covering her mouth and turning an even darker shade of red. Touma himself was even caught off guard by this statement, blushing a shade of red himself.

"She is bitten by the love-bug… and bitten really badly." Momo commented.

"Yeah, even worse than Uraraka was." Kirishima added.

"…I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that." Ochako turned her head towards Kirishima, glaring at him.

"N-nothing! Forget I said anything!" Kirishima waved his hands in front of himself desperately. He had already felt her wrath when Ochako slammed his head into the glass window; he didn't want to incur it again.

"Well… it's not exactly soft… but the texture can be kind of neat I guess…" Touma said, sitting down in a chair. "I guess as long as you don't zap me, its fine."

"W-what is?" Mikoto asked.

"You can touch my hair if you want. Should probably make it quick; it seems like they are finishing up the repairs." Touma said. Mikoto seemed to be stuck in a mix of confusion, disbelief, and desire.

'H-he's kidding… right!? He's just going to say "got you," when I try to… right…!?' Mikoto thought. Mikoto slowly walked closer to Touma; her heart thumping loudly in her chest. "O-ok… h-here I go…!" She said, reaching out for Touma's hair. Her heart thumped louder with each inch closer. She shook a little bit more. She couldn't help but wonder if she had finally raised a flag with him…!

Her thoughts were cut short when she had to pull back her hand, as a pair of teeth suddenly clamped down on Touma's head, causing him to shout in pain.

"Gah! Index, why!?" Touma shouted as he tried to pry Index off of his head.

"S-stupid Touma!" Index said in-between bites.

"H-hey! Let go of him!" Mikoto shouted as she joined the struggle.

"Wow… a love triangle…" Ochako blinked.

"Kamijou seems like he's good with women without realizing it…" Tenya commented.

"That's the power of the Kami-yan disease! Never underestimate it!" Tsuchimikado said. The scene continued to unfold for a while until the speakers started to sound.

It was time for the next match… or so they thought.

 **-Arena Field-**

"I won't hold back, you know. I'm in this to win." Mikoto said with confidence.

"I know… trust me I know…" Touma sighed.

"Alright, the last match of the semi-final round… then all that's left is the final match! Izuku's victory has guaranteed a final match that I am sure will be the best yet! Who else here is excited!?" The announcer called out. The crowd started to cheer wildly. Before he could speak further, the sound of an explosion was heard off in the distance, seemingly deeper in the city. Despite its distance, the aftershock could be felt in the arena.

"What the hell was that?" Touma asked. At that moment a loud screech could be heard as something could now be seen flying over the arena floor.

It strongly resembled a humanoid, and it was partially covered in flames. Despite the resemblance, it appeared to have an inhumanly large mouth lined with sharp teeth, and its limbs were thin, almost skeletal. Cleavers seemed to replace the arms from the elbow down, and flames also appeared to be erupting from its mouth as it screeched in the air. It flapped in the air with large fleshy wings, circling the arena for a time.

"What… the hell…!?" Mikoto asked in confusion.

"A demon from the Necronomicon…!" Index said in shock.

"…Well then…" Touma appeared confused. Suddenly the humanoid turned its head towards Touma and flew down towards him, screeching loudly. Unamused, Touma stood his ground as the beast soared toward him. It slashed downward when it got close, but Touma managed to dodge, and quickly counter by driving his right fist into the creatures face; a shattering sound was heard when the attack made contact. The impact was enough to forcefully topple the monster, who's screeching died down slowly before suddenly stopping and glowing a bright red, eventually shattering into millions of red lights that eventually flickered out of existence.

Whatever that creature was, Touma's Imagine Breaker seemed to destroy it.

"What the hell was that thing!?" Mikoto asked.

"No idea…" Touma replied. At that moment alarms started to blare, followed by instructions to evacuate. "What the hell is going on!?"

"What's… happening…?" A groggy Izuku asked, the alarms waking him from his slumber.

"Deku! Some kind of weird monster tried to attack Kamijou!" Ochako replied.

"What…?" Izuku suddenly shot up, trying to look out the window to try and see. As the alarms sounded the audience stampeded towards the exits, trying to find some kind of safety. Various news outlets were reporting a massive but strange terrorist attack on the city.

"That was no mere monster." Index said. "It was a demon, called forth by twisting the soul of a human; the monster taking the human's body and using it as a catalyst to enter our realm… against popular belief, it can only be used on the dead but…"

"…The Necronomicon…?" Izuku asked. Index nodded. "So this is what they were trying to do then…!"

"Hey, I just checked my phone for some news; apparently the entire city is covered with these things!" Kirishima shouted.

"Does it say where they are all are coming from?" Fumikage asked.

"Apparently they are most congested around the city cemetery, according to my sources." Shouto replied, checking the news himself.

"That makes it even clearer that it's the work of the Necronomicon… but to cover the entire city in such scale… would require a large amount of magical power…" Index thought out loud. "I have to go… the only way to stop this is to cut off the flow of magic sustaining them!"

"…Kamijou can do it, couldn't he? With his right arm?" Izuku asked. Index bit her lip.

"Yes… he could but… if he got involved… he'd…" Index trailed off.

"Don't worry!" Izuku shouted. "Don't worry about him. I'll protect him for you!"

"H-huh?"

"I know you're worried about him getting involved with dangerous stuff. I can tell. But you don't have to; I'll do everything I can to help! I'm not going to abandon someone like that, not in a million years!" Izuku finished. Index was taken aback; she had no idea how to respond.

"Hey, you're not stealing all the fucking credit for yourself, Deku." Katsuki said from across the room, suddenly in his full hero costume. "I still have a score to settle with that Kamijou fucker; if he goes off and dies I can't beat the shit out of him, now can I?"

"Kacchan…!" Izuku smiled for a bit.

"Well, I guess that settles it!" Kirishima punched his fists together, hardening them at the same time. "If you two are going, I'm can't skip out on this!"

"At a time like this, I don't think any of us would be able to stand behind and watch." Shouto spoke up.

"That's right!" Ochako spoke up as well.

"No one gets left behind, no matter what." Momo added herself. Fumikage did not speak, but stood to join with the group, nodding towards Izuku.

"I suppose… I have to join as well… as the class representative of course." Tenya stepped up to join the group.

"You're all stepping into the fiery pits of hell, you know that?" Tsuchimikado warned.

"What, you want us to sit around and do fucking nothing?" Katsuki shouted. Tsuchimikado smirked.

"Nah, just giving a warning from a guy who's already there." He replied, shrugging. "Stuff like this is probably making waves; some of the forces of magic who were already here hunting for either Gregory or the stolen Necronomicon are probably active in the city now too. Not to mention Anti-Skill mobilizing; it's going to become a warzone really fast."

"Doesn't matter, this is the kind of thing we've all been trying to get ready for. We are heroes after all!" Izuku confidently spoke. The door swung open as Touma and Mikoto rejoined the group.

"Hey, is everything ok in here?" Touma asked.

"Touma! It's the Necronomicon! They're using it to cause this!" Index replied. Touma's eyes narrowed.

"Right; where is it?" Touma asked.

"The cemetery; the same one from two nights ago." Izuku responded. Touma nodded and turned to leave, but Izuku grabbed his arm. "Hold on, we're coming with you!"

"You are? But it'll be dangerous; you could get really hurt out there!" Touma responded.

"I know, but that's why we're joining you." Izuku started. "This isn't the time to be arguing who goes and who shouldn't. If we don't act now, it will only get worse!"

"…Fine." Touma said begrudgingly. "Just be careful; I can stop magic with my right arm but I can't keep everyone safe at once."

"…We're all going to be fighting. We can defend ourselves; you just worry about yourself you idiot!" Mikoto suddenly shouted, poking Touma in the chest. Her words caught him off guard.

"Touma! Let's go!" Index added. Touma wanted to protest, but was forced to concede by the overwhelming demand. Touma sighed; even if he told them all no, with this many people, they'd just follow him anyway.

"…Right. I still got the map to the cemetery in my phone, follow me!" Touma shouted as he turned to run, being followed by the large gathering of people. The only one who stayed behind was Tsuchimikado, who simply stood with a smirk on his face.

"…Aleister Crowley, you big blowhard. You better be watching from that damn building of yours. I don't know what you're thinking letting this happen, but you're about to see what this little group of people can really do." Tsuchimikado himself finally left the room, dialing his cellphone to get the attention of someone.

Tsuchimikado couldn't help but feel like that if the person he was referring to had heard him, all he'd get back in response would be a smile.

 **-City Streets, about 30 minutes later-**

The city was starting to burn. The creatures seemed to attack and destroy everything they crossed, burning everything in sight. The chaos was evident as they passed and tried to help whoever they could. But there was an oddity.

It was clear that the demons summoned forth from the Necronomicon were behind this, but they seemed to retreat whenever they found them. They would find them assaulting someone, and they would intervene, but they would escape shortly after the battle began. It's as if they were simply just terrorizing the city with hit and run tactics. That alone gave the group an unsettling feeling.

"This is bad…" Touma said.

"Most of these areas seem to be already evacuated; we must have just met and helped out some of the stragglers." Fumikage commented, examining the area.

"It was probably Anti-Skill. In cases of emergency like this, they have access to an underground railroad that leads all over the city to their various bases; it lets them deploy large amounts of people wherever they are needed for evacuations or combat." Mikoto said.

"Too bad we can't use them… let's keep moving." Izuku instructed, the group moving forward. Suddenly, they heard the loud booms of explosions, followed by gunfire. The group raced toward the origin of the sounds, when a large volley of energy blasts hailed down upon them.

A large number of thin, red creatures clawed all over the walls of the buildings to their right, gathering balls of red energy and throwing them down at the group. They were explosive, but everyone managed to dodge them with relative ease.

"Annoying little bastards…!" Katsuki cursed. "Come down and fight you pieces of shit!"

"I know a way to bring them down here…" Mikoto smirked as she pulled out an arcade coin. She fired her railgun straight into the side of the building, tearing through it like paper. The monsters were blasted off, several where even killed by the attack, but most of them slammed into the ground.

This group of demons wasn't anywhere near as cowardly as the one's they encountered before, however. They were very aggressive; like they were after something. Moreover, they seemed to be coming from further down the street, where they could still hear gunfire. They charged the group, trying to break through with sheer numbers. Katsuki suddenly broke off and charged them back, running straight for them.

"Eat this you scum-fuckers!" Katsuki threw his hands forward and unleashed a massive explosion, forcing the group of demons to scatter. One managed to get around and tried to claw Katsuki, but Touma abruptly slammed his right fist into the creature's face, his Imagine Breaker destroying it in the process. With the display of these two charging head first into combat, everyone else who could quickly joined in as well.

They pushed forward, wiping out every demon in their path, making their way towards their destination. The gunfire grew louder, until they eventually started to see sparks from bullets hitting the steel parts of the area. It appeared to be a detachment of soldiers, armed to the teeth with automatic rifles and hand grenades, defending what appeared to be the entrance to one of their emergency railroads. There were about fourteen of them, but there was something odd about the situation.

Not only where there a large number of monsters charging the position, more than they had seen before, the cooperation between the soldiers was impressive. Their aim and capability to take down primary targets was absolute perfection. Their knowledge of when to use explosives to clear enemy forces charging in mass was masterful. Even when some would get close to the soldiers, they would attack in unison together to drive them back. It was perfect.

Too perfect; it was like they could all see what everyone else saw and react instantly. It was like someone was controlling their every move and pushing them far beyond their limits. When they moved in closer, they noticed another oddity; all of the soldiers had some kind of star in their eyes. When they finally reached their destination, they finally realized the cause for the unusual behavior from the soldiers; they saw a familiar curvaceous blond standing in-between them, darting her eyes all over the place, seemingly giving mental commands to all fourteen soldiers.

"S-Shokuhou!?" Mikoto shouted. Misaki heard her and turned with a cheerful smile.

"Hi everyone! Wow, you formed up a big group, huh? I guess great minds think alike!" Misaki said.

"Shokuhou… are you controlling these guys?" Izuku asked.

"Yup! This group of Anti-Skill seemed to be having some trouble, so I decided to lend them a hand with my mental ability! But… it doesn't help that large amounts of these guys were chasing me all over the city; seems like the two forces joined together." Misaki answered.

"Chasing you?" Ochako questioned.

"These demons will divide and conquer, targeting those who they feel are large threats to their conquest." Index spoke up. "They will only charge major threats if they have the combined force to win; if they don't stand a chance they will flee, but they will relentlessly throw themselves at significant threats if they feel they can win."

"Explains why they haven't been targeting us… but it doesn't explain why this set is so committed to combat suddenly…" Touma commented.

"It is strange… they haven't been able to make any progress towards me yet they keep coming." Misaki said. Then suddenly they heard a loud crash from behind the various alleyways the demons where pouring in from. They heard a loud and powerful roar as they could hear the heavy footsteps of something marching towards them.

A massive beast made its way through the alleyway. It was easily thirteen feet tall, accompanied by pale skin and immense bulk; its height and mass caused its sides to grind against the walls of the alleyway, but the monster made progress like it was nothing. Although it appeared powerful, it also lacked eyes. It roared again as it made its exit of the alleyway into the large street.

"I don't know what the hell that thing is… but it explains why these demon guys are so confident!" Kirishima said.

"It's a Chaos Knight; a powerful war beast… to call forth even a monster such as this…" Index trailed off.

"This… Japhet, he is supposed to be a holy man, correct? Why would he summon forth demons to do his bidding…?" Fumikage questioned.

"…I think I understand why he would attempt something like this..." Index said. "Japhet intends to bring the city to the brink of destruction, then save it with his own power without letting on that he's the source of them in the first place, proclaiming his order to be their saviors to turn the remaining people to his faith…"

"…And probably leaving the rest to die, proclaiming them as heathens to their religion, justifying his actions." Shouto added.

"Japhet… making creatures like this to go out and hurt people just to boost his own cabal's popularity in the magic world...!" Touma appeared angry. A large mass of magical power gathered in the Chaos Knight's right hand as it turned its attention to Misaki and her group of soldiers. "H-hey! Get out of its way; it's going to attack!"

The beast roared again, unleashing the blast from its right hand towards Misaki and her group. One of the soldiers picked Misaki up as they all scattered to dodge the attack. The blast ripped the railroad entrance like it was nothing; an explosion could be heard a short time after, seemingly after the blast hit something underground. The soldiers fired numerous rounds into the Chaos Knight; the bullets seemed to pierce the monster's skin but it was not deterred in the slightest, almost as if it didn't care if it was being damaged. During this the smaller demons were starting their own attack, using the Chaos Knight's rampage as an opening.

"Leave this to me!" Shouto slammed his left hand onto the ground, as a wave of ice moved past everyone and towards the demons, freezing their legs to the ground or completely icing them over, making them much easier targets. The Chaos Knight however, was only frozen up to its waist; it quickly broke free, but just as fast as it did so, a blast of fire erupted from Shouto's right, engulfing the demon's upper torso, and causing it to stumble backward.

"Nice Todoroki!" Izuku complimented.

"We're not done yet!" Shouto warned as the Chaos Knight charged another blast of green energy and fired it off towards the group. Touma moved in front with his right hand outstretched, colliding with the magical attack. The blast struggled for a time, but eventually it shattered into nothingness with enough force that the Chaos Knight's hand recoiled.

"Whoa… even an attack as powerful as that didn't stance a chance…" Izuku looked amazed.

"We should move to evacuate those soldiers and Shokuhou. Try to keep that thing busy!" Momo said, running off to try and provide support, Fumikage and Kirishima following after her in agreement.

"Uraraka… do you think you can make this guy float to make him unable to charge at us? Touma can handle its blasts, but I don't even want to imagine how strong that thing is." Izuku asked.

"It… might be above my weight limit… but I'll do my best! If it's possible I'll make it happen!" Ochako responded with confidence.

"If I can just touch it with Imagine Breaker…!" Touma said, getting ready to charge the Chaos Knight.

Suddenly, a large impact could be felt, like a soundless explosion inside one of the buildings; specifically the one to the right of the Chaos Knight. It felt like a miniature earthquake. The building in question slowly started to topple over in the monster's direction, but it had already taken notice and was starting to move.

"No you don't! You're going to wait right there!" Mikoto unleashed a massive amount of voltage through the ground, being careful to focus its direction entirely on the Chaos Knight. The electric attack caused the demon to roar out in pain; the electricity paralyzing its muscles. Now unable to move, the building collapsed on top of the Chaos Knight, silencing its screams as it was suddenly buried underneath a pole of concrete and steel. The smaller demons, upon seeing their superior felled, finally started to flee, calling off their assault and running deeper into the city.

"Man… that building collapsing was lucky for us!" Kirishima said as he supported one of the injured soldiers, bringing him over to the group.

"That wasn't a result of the fighting." Mikoto stated. "That building had suffered very little structural damage; something knocked it over.

"But… who could have done that…?" Ochako asked. Almost as if to answer her question, a body of a smaller red demon suddenly hit the ground near her. Its form was nearly unrecognizable; one could describe it as completely mangled. Its arms were clearly broken, as were its legs; even its neck appeared to be snapped. From the base of the building that was apparently knocked over, a figure walked towards the group.

"Hey… one of you fuckers wouldn't happen to know what the fuck this thing is, would you?" The figure was revealed to be Accelerator, who promptly kicked the side of the dead monster when he got close. "Little bastard tried to attack me when I was on my way home."

'S-scary…!' Izuku thought to himself.

"They are some kind of monster or demon… or something…" Touma commented. "We're actually heading out to deal with it; a magician is summoning them all over the place."

"You don't say… well then I guess I'll have to pay this fucker a visit and properly punish him then." Accelerator looked off toward the road in front he had just blocked off. The rubble suddenly started to move as the Chaos Knight burst from the debris with a mighty roar. It looked angry; its entire body was covered in wounds from the sudden attack, most of which were bleeding profusely.

"You've got to be kidding me…!" Izuku shouted. Accelerator clicked his teeth.

"Stubborn son of a bitch huh…" He stepped forward, ready to put down the monster for good. Suddenly, the Chaos Knight started to swell, its bulk increasing dramatically. It was also starting to glow the same color of the energy it used to attack; it looked like it was about to explode.

"Self-destruct… that attack could take out the entire city block!" Index shouted.

"Damn it all…! I just need to- whoa!" Touma was caught off guard when he was suddenly lifted up and put on Tenya's shoulders. "H-hey! How did you do that!?"

"Uraraka made it possible." Tenya said. Ochako herself had apparently used her quirk on Touma, and surprisingly, it worked; Touma felt completely weightless.

"It… works on me!? But Imagine Breaker…!?" Touma questioned. Ochako seemed to be struggling to maintain her ability.

"D-Don't worry… about it…!" Ochako huffed out. "Just focus… Iida can get you there really quick!" She finished. She didn't know if her quirk would work on Touma or not; she merely wanted to try it. But there was something odd regardless; her nausea was hitting her full force, as if she were using it on herself. She had a weight limit for her nausea to kick-in as well, but that limit is three tons, so Touma shouldn't have been anywhere near that.

It felt like in addition to Touma, her quirk was affecting something deep inside of him. Something massive; she had no idea how to describe it.

"…Understood, Iida! Let's go!" Touma shouted.

"Recipro Burst!" Tenya shot forward with great speed, easily covering the distance. Touma slammed his right hand into the Chaos Knight. It roared in pain as it's swelling suddenly ceased, and like the demon back at the arena, the beast suddenly shattered into millions of flickering lights that all faded.

Ochako disabled her quirk and fell to her knees, exhausted and trying to recover. Touma abruptly fell off Tenya afterward, but quickly got back onto his feet.

"Good work." Tenya gave Touma an approving thumbs up.

"Thanks…" Touma replied; feeling winded from the sudden rush of speed. He looked back at the group behind him as they gathered around and made sure everyone was ready to go. They started to make their way toward him down the street, ready to progress. Even Misaki and Accelerator had decided to join. Touma bit his lip; he wanted to say something.

He wanted them to head back; it didn't matter to him if he got hurt, but he absolutely couldn't stand it if someone was injured because of him. To him, if his sacrifice protected everyone, it was worth it.

But he knew his words would fall on deaf ears. For whatever reason, be it for his sake, personal reasons, or just a desire to help, they all were going the same direction.

"…Alright." Touma said. "Let's go." He said simply as the group joined him and they all moved forward.

This started off looking like it was just going to be a battle. But now it was starting to look more like a war.


	19. Trap Fanatics

**Nearing the end... Enjoy!**

* * *

The group ran as fast as they could, helping out whomever they came across along the way. The amount of people they encountered was growing scarce however. The evacuation of the damaged areas seemed to be extremely effective and quick considering the timing of the incident.

The demons seemed to disperse whenever they approached now. Only on occasion would they stand and fight; most of the time they would flee. It seemed that with the addition of Misaki and Accelerator to their cause, their group had finally grown powerful enough for even the strongest of monsters to retreat. It made traversing the burning city significantly easier.

Though they were still a long ways off from the cemetery, they were finally inside district ten. At this point, they were only about 25 minutes away.

Suddenly, Touma's phone started to go off. He answered it quickly; somewhat worried that someone he knew was in trouble.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kami-yan!" Tsuchimikado said on the other side of the line. "Long time no see! How goes the demon slaying business, nya?"

"I don't like it." Touma replied. "Where are you?"

"Other side of district ten, I'm trying to meet up with Stiyl. I can see you on the camera system, nya!" Tsuchimikado said. "I got Aogami with me and, oddly enough, he was with Sogiita! Did you know these two were friends? It blew my mind when I saw them tag-teaming!"

"That's neat and all, but more important stuff is going on!" Touma shouted. "You said you're trying to find Stiyl; any idea where he is?"

"He's somewhere around here in district ten with us; I can't seem to find him, but I know he's here." Tsuchimikado replied. "We're going to need him; they apparently set-up a barrier around the cemetery. One of those constantly regenerating types too; it's going to take more than Imagine Breaker to bust it open. Lucky for us, Stiyl knows the way to break inside."

"If it's just a spell we need, Index probably knows it. She's here with me." Touma said.

"I know, but we need someone who not only knows it, but has the ability to cast it! Apparently it's some top-class stuff; won't be able to just let one of the heroes do it because we need a large amount of mana. And I don't think me turning into a blood geyser would be too smart; I don't think you guys want more people to defend, right?" Tsuchimikado finished.

"…You have a point. Call me if you find him. I'll do the same if I find him first." Touma said.

"Roger, he should be making his way towards the cemetery too. Good luck Kami-yan!" Tsuchimikado hung up.

"What's wrong, Kamijou?" Izuku asked.

"Our job just got a little bit tougher. There's a self-regenerating barrier set-up and Stiyl is the only one who knows how to get inside and how to cast the spell that lets us in." Touma replied.

"Pain in my ass…" Accelerator clicked his teeth.

"The flames are getting more intense and the temperature is rising rapidly; I believe we are getting closer." Fumikage commented. Suddenly, from the burning buildings, demons started pouring out like a flood. It seems like they were coming from all directions. When they turned their back, a Chaos Knight burst from the ground, cutting off their escape route.

"Shit, it's a trap!" Kirishima said, hardening his arms.

"This many of them, plus another Chaos Knight… if we try to stand and fight, we could be overwhelmed very easily…" Momo warned, pulling a steel pole out of her leg with her quirk.

"Speak for yourself." Accelerator replied, switching on his electrode.

"Either way, we need to push forward somehow…" Ochako stood ready.

"…Their numbers are seemingly endless." Tenya thought out loud. "…But they are congested here; if we split up, some of us might be able to push forward while everyone else holds off the assault."

"If I can get close enough to the source, I can counter-act the spell." Index said. "They pull their energy from the underworld; if I can make it to the source, I can stop more from coming out."

"So… who moves on?" Izuku said.

"I'll stay back here." Accelerator said. "I have some aggression to work off anyway. These guys should make a good punching bag."

"As much I hate to say it, stopping these guys from following you is probably top priority." Mikoto said. "It seems like they are all focused here, so we need to create a bottleneck to stop them."

"I suppose Misaka is right… my boys still have plenty of fight in them anyway!" Misaki cheerfully said.

"It seems like the most use a guy like me is going to get is right here!" Kirishima punched his fists together.

"I'm unsure how useful I can be in a fight with all of this light… but if holding these beasts back is key, so be it." Fumikage answered as his Dark Shadow started to form.

"I can make more ammo for Shokuhou's soldiers; I think it'd be best to stay behind myself." Momo said.

"You'll find my abilities quite well-suited for a mass confrontation." Shouto said, his ice starting to cover the ground around the group.

"It seems that in this situation, that my speed will be useful in delivering supplies or quickly escorting people to safety in dire circumstance… I think I'd be best suited here as well."

"Well… if anyone can permanently stop Japhet's magic, it's probably me…" Touma said. "Imagine Breaker can probably reverse his revival like how it can send these monsters back… and Index already is coming with me… Midoriya?"

"…I'm going." Izuku firmly said. "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it."

"As much as I'd like to blow these fuckers apart, this Japhet guy seems like a giant piece of shit that I would just love to blow to pieces!" Katsuki popped his knuckles.

"Uraraka? What about you?" Izuku asked.

"I'll…" She trailed off, thinking. "…I'll join you, Deku. I'll do my best to make sure everyone makes it through."

"So it's decided then… now we just need a path…" Touma said. Just as he finished, a railgun blast from Mikoto blasted right past him and down the street towards the cemetery. The demons directly hit were obliterated, and the shockwave from the attack blasted the remaining demons back.

"There's your opening! Now go! And you better come back alive you idiot!" Mikoto shouted. Touma turned to her and simply smiled.

"You got it, Misaka!" Touma said as he ran; the sudden use of her name causing Mikoto to turn red. As the group began to fight of the demonic hoard, Index, Izuku, Katsuki, and Ochako followed after Touma as he ran, desperate to make it to the cemetery in time.

They ran as fast as they could, Touma following his map closely. Taking whatever shortcut they could, they were rapidly gaining ground.

"Almost… there…!" Touma said. Just two more blocks away. The alleyways around them were now engulfed by fire. Suddenly, there were a series of explosions that went off all across the sides of several buildings down the street. Rubble and debris filled the street, blocking their path. "Not again… can we find a way around!?"

"Dealing with the fire would take too much time to travel safely…" Ochako commented.

"I can blast us through; won't be nice but it'll get the job done." Katsuki said as he walked forward.

"Wait… not yet." Izuku said. "Fire couldn't have done that. Someone rigged those buildings to explode."

"Not bad! Not bad at all! What a brilliant deduction!" A familiar voice could be heard all around them with an echo; it sounded like Prometheus. Before they could question it, a massive dragon head made of ice with an elongated neck flew towards them from the middle of the debris pile; demolishing all that remained in its path. Despite its size and sheer power, Touma easily destroyed it with his right hand. Pandora was revealed after it's destruction to be in the rubble, completely unharmed. Prometheus suddenly appeared in front of the group, and Pandora flew forward to stand beside him.

"Damn it… get out of the way Prometheus! We don't have time to deal with you!" Touma shouted. Prometheus grinned.

"That is unfortunate… because I have plenty of time to play around with you!" Prometheus spun his scythe around. "No one gets beyond this point; orders from the top! So you're going to have to wait around here like polite boys and girls until there's nothing left of this city but ash!"

"Why are you doing this…?" Izuku asked. "You don't have anything to gain by helping destroy the city! Why are you doing this to innocent people!?" Izuku shouted louder. Prometheus laughed.

"Innocent? You think these pieces of shit are innocent!?" He shot back. "Let's take a little trip down memory lane then back to when little ol' Prometheus was a kiddy who all he had was his sister… one day; the administration decides that the brother and sister love each other too much, and send the brother away to torment them both! Then, let's move forward a bit, until some scientist folk suddenly notice little lonely Prometheus playing on the side of the street during one of the few times he's allowed outside, and they wonder what to do about that little problem. And they decide to take the little kid to a shiny little laboratory in some kind of city he'd never heard of because no-one bothered to tell him in the first place!"

Pandora looked at her brother with a look of concern. She remained silent however, and let Prometheus continue the story.

"Then came the needles! The drugs! The machines! Little ol' Prometheus was turned into a little lab-rat for special esper development programs they thought were far too dangerous for anyone who actually mattered! Little Prometheus went a little bit crazy; not everything made sense anymore! Images and dreams of confusion; it got so bad that little Prometheus forgot his own name! But they had a solution for that; let's give him a number instead, good ol' zero-zero-one, the first subject, and certainly not the last…!" Prometheus was starting to get hysterical, but quickly calmed down as if a pleasant memory jumped into his mind.

"Then, let's say… a few years later, after little Prometheus is deemed a failure and locked away with a special ability suppressant room so he couldn't escape, something knocked at his door. He ignores it of course, not wishing for any more special tests… at least, he does until the door is blasted off its hinges. Wouldn't you know it; Prometheus' long lost sister suddenly appears to whisk him away from hellish prison! She nurses him back to health, teaches him magic even! And when Prometheus' body breaks trying to use it, she fashions a special tether of sorts to eliminate that problem… and now, fast forward to right now, when Prometheus and Pandora have chosen new names to go by, to evade recapture." Prometheus sighed. "Man… memory lane is full of pins and needles huh?"

"So you just out for revenge huh…" Katsuki cracked his knuckles.

"Nah… this is more of a victory lap… the scientists directly responsible are already dead." Prometheus explained. "I can hear their screams, you know? Right in here. It's like music to my ears!" Prometheus held out his scythe, aimed at the group. "Besides; this city is full of experimentation like that; possibly even worse! We're doing the world a favor by wiping it off the face of the earth!"

"That scythe is magically enchanted." Index replied. "I can tell just by looking at it, if what he says is true, I believe that it might steal the souls of whomever he kills with it. Also, that connection he described; the girl must be processing the magic for Prometheus externally using her own mana supply. It is the only conceivable way that Prometheus to be able to cast magic without suffering the consequences as an esper."

"…So that explains when the guy's bullshit stopped working when Kamijou decked the bastard's sister then." Katsuki grinned. "Well this is going to be interesting, now isn't it?"

"…Little bitch found us out." Prometheus looked more surprised than anything. "…I don't like that."

"Her knowledge of magic is exemplary. She may have ways to counter-act Japhet's magic." Pandora suddenly spoke.

"Understood." Prometheus suddenly vanished. He reappeared behind the group, more particularly, behind Index, and brought his scythe down on top of her. Ochako moved quickly on reflex, catching the blade by slamming the palms of her hands onto the sides of it, holding it in place. She struggled, but managed to hold it for the time being.

'For such a lanky guy… he is really strong…!' Ochako thought as he held the blade back. Prometheus grinned wide and applied more force; attempting to break through Ochako's hold and cleave her in half.

"If his scythe is magic…!" Touma turned, attempting to grab Prometheus' scythe with his right hand. Prometheus however, vanished in an instant.

"Brilliant deduction…!" Prometheus was now behind Touma, and with an upward slash, he ripped open Touma's back, spilling blood.

"No, Touma!" Index shouted. Prometheus laughed, but his expression changed when Touma suddenly turned, swinging his right arm through the air, the side of his right hand slamming into the scythe blade. Even through it was just the side, a shattering sound was heard and in an instant, Prometheus' scythe was blasted into millions of pieces.

Prometheus' eyes widened. The voices of those he had slain, one of his few comforts, was gone. No more cries of pain. No more howls of terror. No more pleading for forgiveness. Nothing. His deranged mind was suddenly silent, and it made him furious. But he had no time to curse; Touma had already reeled back his right fist, and amidst Prometheus' confusion, slammed it into his face. Prometheus flew backward through the air, slamming into the ground a fair distance away.

"B-brother!" Pandora flew to Prometheus as he slowly pushed himself up.

"…He destroyed it, like it was nothing…" Prometheus gritted his teeth. "…Not even that All Might fucker would have been able to do that…!"

"There… one less problem…" Touma said.

"K-Kamijou! Your back!" Izuku called out.

"It's fine." Touma said simply. "Don't worry about it. We have more important things to worry about."

"Brother… are you ok?" Pandora asked. Prometheus opened one hand and a crimson flame appeared out of it. After a time, the flame vanished and Prometheus fully stood up.

"I'm fine." He stated simply. "…His right hand can not only stop magic, but apparently it can destroy magical objects… It can destroy our connection, but my guess is that it will only work if he touches you."

"…Understood. I will be sure to stay away from him." Pandora said.

"Stay safe." Prometheus said, bending his body as if he was about to run forward, turning his attention towards the group in front of him. "Now I'm really pissed off! **Berserker Seal: OVERDRIVE!"** Prometheus shouted, the intense aura from before erupted back full force, and crimson flames seemed to erupt form the ground around him and wrap around his body. He charged forward with crimson fire gathering in his hands in an attempt to attack Touma. However, Izuku quickly intercepted him with Full Cowl, kicking Prometheus in the chin, sending him skyward.

"If you two want to fight so bad, then fine! Let's finish that once and for all!" Izuku shouted.

"Don't get cocky! **Promethean Flame!"** Prometheus thrust his blazing hands forward and a cone of crimson fire surged forth, growing larger as it traveled. Touma moved in front of the attack and stopped it in its tracks with Imagine Breaker.

"…Index." Ochako called out. "Do you think you can find a safe place? You said you can't cast magic yourself right?"

"I can try- Look out!" Index shouted. Behind Ochako a massive knight made of ice suddenly appeared, and was swinging its blade down on top of her. However, the knight abruptly shattered when Katsuki attacked it with an explosion; the Knight's massive sword falling and hitting the ground near Ochako herself.

"B-Bakugou!? I thought you'd go after Prometheus!" Ochako stuttered out in surprise.

"Of course I am!" Katsuki replied with a smirk. "But this bitch is the key to that guy's power. Take her out and I'll be able to blast that Prometheus fucker straight to hell! Stop standing around and make yourself useful!" Ochako took a step back and the side of her leg hit the large sword of ice. She looked at it for a moment before getting an idea.

"…Sure, whatever you say." Ochako replied confidently. Curious as to where the sudden change of attitude came from, Katsuki looked behind him. Ochako gripped the large sword by the handle, and activated her quirk, making the massive blade as light as air, and heaved it upward with surprising ease. "Let's see how this works out!" She said, aiming the over-sized blade at Pandora. Katsuki was surprised, but suddenly smirked.

He didn't want to admit it, but Katsuki was impressed.

'Impossible…!' Pandora thought. 'A blade with that size and density would have to weigh over 800 pounds… and she can lift it like it's nothing!?'

"Let's go!" Ochako charged forward, swinging the blade horizontally at Pandora from her right side. Pandora crated a wall of ice to block the swing, but Katsuki came at her from the other side and blasted her through it, launching her into one of the building's walls.

"Pandora!" Prometheus shouted, aiming his hand to fire a blast of fire at Katsuki's back, but was suddenly kicked across the face by Izuku.

"Stay focused one me!" he shouted, attacking again, this time with a punch. Prometheus vanished and appeared behind Katsuki, trying to fire at point blank. However, Touma predicted this and ran for Katsuki before the teleport, and just as he appeared, smashed his right fist into Prometheus' face, imagine breaker canceling out his magic and deactivating his Berserker Seal. If that wasn't enough, Katsuki turned as well, grinning like mad, and threw both of his hands forward, unleashing two explosive blasts straight into Prometheus' torso, launching him back.

"I fucking knew it! Can't stand the sight of your sister being hurt, huh!?" Katsuki shouted. That was his plan; use Prometheus' relationship with Pandora against him. Prometheus stood up, and was looking even angrier than before.

"Shut the fuck up you son of a bitch!" Prometheus shouted, throwing his hands forward and unleashing another Promethean Flame attack. Touma moved to block it with his right hand, but Prometheus kept generating the attack. "Come on, come on! There has to be a limit, there has to be!" As Prometheus continued his assault, Pandora aimed her staff at Touma from behind, preparing a thunder-based spell. This stopped however, when her staff was suddenly kicked out of her hand by Izuku.

"This ends now!" Izuku then punched Pandora in the stomach, and then kicked her into the air with Full Cowl.

Prometheus' flames raged with such intensity, parts of his line of sight were blocked, as he struggled to overcome Imagine Breaker. He didn't notice until it was too late, that amidst his own rage, Ochako had slipped in next to him with the massive sword of ice ready.

" **Home Run Comet!"** She swung with the flat side of the blade aimed toward Prometheus' back, slammed it into him launching him upward at an angle. Prometheus slammed into Pandora in the air, stunning them both. Katsuki launched himself into the air, appearing just above them, and unleashed a double explosion again, not only blasting Katsuki to safety, but knocking the duo straight into the ground. After a short time, Prometheus stood up again, but Pandora remained grounded; she appeared to be rendered unconscious. Prometheus tried to gather a flame attack, but coughed up blood in response; it became apparent that Pandora had to be active in order for him to use magic.

"How… the hell… are you doing this…!?" Prometheus stammered out.

"You think you can attack us three times and not have you fucking figured out, you piece of shit!?" Katsuki shouted.

"It's time for this to end, Prometheus. Give it up. You can't use magic without your sister." Izuku added. Prometheus grinded his teeth together in anger.

"You pieces of shit…! YOU PIECES OF SHIIIIIT!" Prometheus shouted to the heavens as he activated his berserker Seal again. He coughed up blood, and various parts of his body were starting to rip open.

"The Berserker Seal will increase his power as he's damaged…" Index started. "…But by using it without Pandora's mana, he will rip himself apart…" She widened her eyes a bit with a sudden realization. "…It will be short-lived, but he'll become a never-ending conduit of physical strength!"

"I'll… TEAR YOU APART!" Prometheus shouted as he burst forward, his eyes completely shining red as his body destroyed itself. He only had one goal left; to kill. He rushed as quickly as he could, his hand outstretched, as if he was going to crush whatever he got his hands on.

This state was short lived as Touma slammed the side of his right hand into Prometheus' own, nullifying his magic entirely.

"You really think this is ok…!? Killing people because you feel like it, and dragging your sister along with it…!?" Touma clenched his right hand tight into a fist.

"She came for you, and saved you! And this is how you repay her!?" Izuku's fist did the same.

"Don't… you… dare…!" Prometheus' mind was hazy; he couldn't focus enough to use his teleportation.

"If you think we're going to let you get away with something like that, then we're going to shatter that fucked up illusion of yours!" Touma shouted, throwing his right fist into Prometheus' face. Izuku threw his own as well; the two colliding with Prometheus and launching him tumbling backward. This time, there was no struggle, and no way for a second round.

Prometheus and Pandora were finally defeated.

Now only one goal was left for them.

Hugo Japhet, leader of the order of the millennial phoenix.


	20. Millennial Pheonix

**The Final Battle Approaches! Enjoy!**

* * *

It didn't take long for Katsuki to blast through the remaining rubble, clearing a path forward. The demons were still held at bay behind them and with Prometheus and Pandora out of commission, there was nothing left to stand in their way of their progress.

They made their way to the cemetery at long last. There was an invisible wall all around it; they only found it when they tried to walk inside. If it was still up, then Stiyl must not have arrived yet. And true to Tsuchimikado's word, Imagine Breaker didn't dispel it. Inside the barrier, to the confusion of those who witnessed the chapel's destruction; it had returned in full form as if it had never been touched.

"Well shit, what the hell do we do now!?" Katsuki shouted, slamming his fist into the barrier and triggering an explosion. The barrier was seemingly unfazed.

"Barriers of this nature are extremely resilient; being directly powered and repaired by the caster's own mana supply. It's specific design lets those inside of it leave freely but will not allow entry." Index said, running her hand along the barrier's wall. "The problem with this kind, however, is that one can change its properties without the caster noticing by enforcing one's will infused with their own mana; the process however consumed a large quantity of it. The only other option would be to inflict significant structural damage and slip in before it can regenerate."

"…And Kacchan's explosion and Touma's Imagine Breaker don't do enough to break it…" Izuku said.

"Then get out of the way and let me work." A voice said. The fire of one of the intersections seemed to part, and Stiyl Magnus walked forward.

"Hey, Stiyl! What took you; we beat you here." Touma joked. Stiyl huffed in annoyance.

"Investigating." Stiyl responded. "Things are starting to get even worse. Out of my way; I need to prepare." Stiyl swiftly moved towards the barrier, drawing out an unusual symbol on a piece of paper, and sticking it to the barrier's wall.

"…How bad is it?" Index asked, looking concerned.

"Rifts from the underworld are starting to pop up around the city, letting more demons in; they don't need souls to manifest anymore." Stiyl continued to work, placing several more unusual symbols around on the wall. "The only way to stop this now is to close the original rift. If this continues for much longer, Academy City will become a permanent bastion of hell."

"How long will getting inside take?" Izuku asked.

"The channeling won't even take a minute, but I'll be severely drained and vulnerable. I'll try to take shelter afterward." Stiyl replied. "What this will do will forcefully make a hole in the barrier here, letting anything slip through unhindered. Unfortunately, that will include the demons should Japhet call them to his aid."

"So you put two and two together about Japhet too, huh?" Touma asked.

"Either Gregory's revival plan has failed and he suddenly has access to a massive amount of magic, or he was successful in reviving Hugo Japhet. Those are the only ways I can imagine this event coming to pass." Stiyl replied.

"So if left unchecked, it will be us against an army… plus Japhet. Not to mention this Gregory person." Ochako said.

"That is the unfortunate truth…" Stiyl replied. "Alright, I think I'm ready; stand clear." Stiyl instructed, holding his hands outward from his sides. Before he could begin, however, a deafening roar erupted from behind them. A large number of demons surged forth, accompanied by a Chaos Knight, seemingly targeting them.

"These fuckers won't give up!" Katsuki shouted.

"If what Stiyl said was true, this could be a secondary force. If more are pouring in…" Index trailed off. "They must of sensed danger and came to defend the origin point!"

"Son of a… Stiyl! Can you still get us in!?" Touma asked.

"Sure; but you're going to be chased by demons the entire time. Good luck holding off Japhet and a demonic hoard!" Stiyl shouted back.

"Damn it, what do we do then!?" Izuku shouted, getting ready to fight. The demons charged ahead like a tidal wave.

 **-District 7, The Windowless Building-**

"A snag, it would seem…" a male spoke. The male in question floated in a tube full of liquid that stood in the middle of a room that looked like circuitry. Before him, a projected image of the scene unfolding at the cemetery played in real time. The male narrowed his eyes.

The man in question here is none other than Aleister Crowley, the current head of Academy City.

"I have received what I desired out of this incident." He spoke, seemingly to himself. "Now, these mindless dregs only seek to annoy me." His plan was simple; let the demons flow forth and collect data and specimens. Many of the demonic hoard had already been captured and promptly transported to his own laboratories for study. He knew what would happen very well; when the main rift would close a cataclysm would occur and the demons would be forcefully recalled back to hell. But with the unique properties of the demon's containment cells, the one's he captured would be left behind; free for Aleister to poke and prod however he wished.

Though his desire for magic had ended, he could not deny the appeal to experiment with rare subjects such as this.

"Now… I suppose it is time to guide the hands of fate. Let's see how strong Hugo Japhet's magic truly is." Aleister seemingly smiled as a variety of conformation messages appeared all around him. With one motion of his hand, the messages turned green and faded.

"It didn't work during world war three, but perhaps it will work here instead…"

 **-Outside the Cemetery Gates-**

The demons charged forward with reckless abandon. They were quickly closing the gap.

"This is bad…" Touma said, standing ready.

"Right now… our only chance would be to break in, but that would leave Stiyl behind…" Izuku said. He gritted his teeth, racking his brain for ideas on how to proceed. But suddenly, the demons stopped. "Wait… what are they… doing?"

As if to answer his question, suddenly everything turned a blue hue due to a bright light emitting from the sky. He turned, and immediately backed up upon setting his eyes upon what was coming. A massive beam of energy traveled straight down, as if aiming for the cemetery courtyard, and smashed into the barrier. The formerly invisible barrier lit up in a golden color as the blast hit. The energy seemed to sink inwards, forcing the barrier to contract, and then it suddenly shattered, the blast hitting the ground and causing a large explosion, the shockwave erupting outward. The demons backed up, bracing themselves. When the dust settled; the barrier was completely destroyed, and in the middle of the courtyard there was only a giant crater.

"What the hell was that!?" Katsuki shouted.

"A-a laser beam!? From space!?" Izuku questioned.

"Looks like the Academy City higher-ups are finally taking this situation seriously!" Touma shouted. "They missed the chapel, but the barrier is down! Let's go!"

"Wait! The monsters are starting to move again!" Ochako shouted. Just as she did so, a large number of rune cards flew all over the area, and a massive beast seemingly made of fire erupted from the ground in front of Stiyl. Innocentius had once again been called to the battlefield.

"Don't worry; if it's a situation like this, I can hold them off. Go! We don't have time to argue this out!" Stiyl shouted. Reluctantly, the group moved forward, leaving Stiyl behind.

The demons charged again, bit Stiyl simply smirked.

"Go ahead; fight on, you worthless piles of sin. But bear in mind, that which stands before you has no concept of damage. Attack it as much as you want; its immortal flame will only rise again to burn you to ash!" Stiyl said as Innocentius roared, partially laughing as it charged into the demonic hoard with only a giant white-hot cross as a weapon.

 **-Chapel Interior-**

"This is… troubling." Hugo Japhet stood within a magic circle behind a podium at the head of the church.

"What is wrong, master?" Gregory questioned.

"Something powerful has demolished our defenses. The enemy is here." Japhet looked towards the front doors.

"C-can you not reconstruct it, milord?" Gregory asked.

"No need. It would be pointless now." Japhet replied. He popped his neck. "What I stand in is what maintains the gateway. Step inside. I shall deal with our guests myself." Gregory agreed and took Japhet's place in the magic circle. "Be careful, it will drain your mana constantly; do your best to keep it running."

"Understood sir!" Gregory replied. Shortly after, the front doors were blasted open by a violent explosion. Five figures walked into the room; Touma, Index, Izuku, Ochako, and Katsuki. Japhet at first looked irritated, but this quickly faded as he turned his body fully and leaned on the podium.

"Welcome, welcome!" Japhet greeted with apparent enthusiasm. "You now step forth into the realm of the Millennial Phoenix! I, Hugo Japhet, am the host of this grand establishment! So tell me; why is it that you have come before me on this fine Friday afternoon?"

"Listen! We know what you are doing with those demons!" Touma shouted as the group walked forward. "Innocent people are being hurt; lives destroyed! We want you to put an end to it!"

"Oho! I see; I can understand why you would be concerned!" Japhet replied. "Unfortunately, I cannot comply with your request; this form of judgement as been long overdue for this city, and I cannot act against the natural order of things."

"Those monsters are hurting innocent people!" Ochako shouted. "How can you call yourself a holy man and watch as people suffer!?"

"My dear… allow me to inform you the purpose of demons in this world…" Japhet pushed himself up and leapt over the podium, stepping into the center aisle.

"Be careful, master! The one with black spiked hair can negate magic with his right hand!" Gregory called out.

"Thank you, Sir Gregory! But I intend to end this without such a violent confrontation if at all possible. As rich young minds, I am sure they can be reasoned with." Japhet replied.

"Index…" Touma called out quietly. "Try to sneak around; if you have a way to counteract that spell, go for it. We will keep Japhet busy."

"Alright…" Index then took off in-between the chapel seating, making her way around. Japhet noticed her evasive maneuver, but didn't act against her.

"Now then; the nature of demons." Japhet began. "As you know, demons are violent creatures, yes, but there purpose is not to simply kill humans, but to admonish them! Though they will violently attack, their purpose is to set an example for what will befall them in the afterlife should those bathed in sin choose not to repent and live a much better life. What they do here is merely an example to be set for the entire world what will befall them should they go down the same path."

"You're hurting innocent people!" Izuku shouted.

"A tragedy, yes. But fear not; the souls of the pure and innocent will transcend to the afterlife in peace. No more fear, worry, or hunger. Though the die here to set an example for the sinners, their reward is eternal bliss; their sacrifice shall not be in vain. What starts here will be a grand revolution of the world!"

"Revolution? The hell are you talking about?" Katsuki said.

"A revolution of life itself! Now; we are all slaves to danger, war, and sin. Life and death endlessly teeter back and forth as we struggle to slay one another just for the sake of survival! But with me, that can change! I can change the world, you see!" Japhet stopped walking and put a hand on his chest. "I care for the people, I honestly do. And that is why I have done such a thing this day. With the example set, the world will understand what cannot be done, and through my order, I can erase all of these hardships from the world!"

"What are you talking about?" Touma asked.

"Thank carefully." Japhet started. "Think of the things in this world that inconvenience you, the things you hate, the things that try to end your life prematurely; I can erase them all! I swear upon my soul, I shall create a truly flawless world! No poverty! No violence! No hunger! No more mistakes! I shall crate a world with these two hands of mine; a perfect world where happiness cannot be erased!" His words left an odd impression on the group. It made them unsure; where they doing the right thing? This man spoke with such conviction… is it possible he was right? It left them all confused, save for one. And that one spoke up.

"…That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Touma replied.

"Beg pardon?" Japhet replied.

"What's the point of living if everything you could ever want is just given to you? Who wins in a world like that?" Touma added.

"And you suggest that the current structure of the world is perfect then?" Japhet retorted.

"No, it's not. But it's better than what you're suggesting." Touma replied. "Just existence on its own is pointless; without any real drive, there's no reason to live. Everyone needs a reason to keep going forward; what you're suggesting would just send us all backwards."

"Surely you jest?" Japhet replied.

"I don't." Touma replied. "Look, I gut pulled into a lot of stuff, not all of it is good. Sometimes I screw up. Sometimes it's terrible. Sometimes my life is on the line. And yeah, I wish I could go back and change my mistakes for the better, but that's not how it works! Our failures, our mistakes; they are what make us human! It develops us into who we are, just as much as our successes do! Each time something backfires, we learn, we grow! We humans evolve naturally through the struggles of life! A world where those life-defining moments are gone? Not even the world where the monsters outside these walls reside could be a worse hell than that!"

Touma's words seemed to resonate with the heroes that stood beside him. Their doubts erased, they nodded at each other with a smile, before turning their attention back to the man in front of them.

Japhet was taken aback. He didn't have a rebuttal. Touma's words were strong and filled with confidence. It's not that he didn't want to rebuke it, however.

It felt more like to do so would be an insult to this boy's way of life.

"…I see." Japhet replied. "Your views are sound; well defined. You believe your way is how the world should be, just as I feel about mine." Japhet closed his eyes and smiled.

"Does that mean you're going to stop this before more innocent people are hurt?" Touma asked. With a sigh, Japhet's smile faded. He opened his eyes again, with a powerful seriousness in them.

"As you defend your own world with such ferocity, I must defend mine, I'm afraid." Japhet replied. "I take no pleasure in what I must do. Forgive me." Japhet took a combat stance, his palms open.

"It doesn't have to be like this you know…!" Touma said.

"It does. This is a battle for the direction of the world. Prepare yourself." Japhet readied himself. Almost in an instant, Katsuki broke formation and leapt into the air, preparing to slam his hands down on Japhet. He moved swiftly to the side to dodge, and promptly slammed his knee into Katsuki's stomach, then struck him across the face with a powerful palm strike, launching him across the chapel.

Izuku charged forward next, with his Full Cowl active, attempting to kick Japhet across the face. He ducked and shifted his body into Izuku's guard and grabbed his leg. He spun around, and eventually threw Izuku away. He then generated a large surge of golden flames in his other hand and threw it at Izuku, attempting to incinerate him. Touma quickly moved in the fire's flight path and blocked it with his right hand, Imagine Breaker completely dispelling the flames.

"…So, it was true then. You're right hand can dispel magic… but I wonder how much it can take." Japhet gathered more flames in his hands. Seeing an opportunity, Ochako used her quirk on one of the large wooden benches from one of the rows, and promptly lifted and smashed it into Japhet's back. The bench shattered on contact, but Japhet did not move. The only response Japhet made was a small grunt of discomfort.

"W-whoa…" Ochako stood holding the remains of the bench, partially surprised by Japhet barely being hurt, and partially because she didn't think she was strong enough to break the bench with a single swing.

"…Is that all you're going to say? I was looking forward to that!" Japhet then turned and unleashed both waves of fire towards Ochako. She managed to dodge one, which went off to hit one of the concrete pillars along the walls, causing it to break and fall over, but the other actually hit the ground near her and exploded violently, launching her into a wall.

Japhet then moved to the side, dodging a punch from Touma, and promptly slammed his elbow into Touma's back, sending him to the ground. Japhet then moved in front of Touma, and then stomped once on his back, and continued to apply pressure.

"You're ideals are strong, but your body as weak in comparison to mine." Japhet stated. "I have been trained in a variety of combat styles, and in combination with my golden flames, my capabilities are boundless in battle, it would be wise to concede." He pressured his foot into Touma's back again.

"I'm not… done yet!" Touma reached forward with his right hand and grabbed ahold of Japhet's other leg. A searing pain shot up through Japhet's body; it felt like his entire being began to tear itself apart. He promptly kicked the hand away and jumped back, panting.

'What… was that…?' Japhet pondered. It felt like he was at deaths door, just by touching Touma's right hand. 'Was his hand starting to undo the Fire-Borne Ritual and send me back…?' His eye's narrowed as a golden flame formed in his hand. 'Very well… for the sake of my ideal world, I will end the life of this boy!' Just as he would drive the fire down into Touma's form, Katsuki suddenly charged him from his right, and unleashed an explosion into Japhet's side, launching him away.

Japhet recovered in the air, but not in time. Ochako was back and lifted up a large piece of the concrete pillar and swung, slamming it into Japhet's back and launching him away again.

'Those attacks… are actually hurting this body of mine…!' Japhet screamed in his mind. Izuku was on his feet again and once more activated Full Cowl, and then promptly round-house kicked Japhet in the stomach, launching him at an angle towards the ground. Japhet dug into the floor and traveled backward; the great amount of force behind the attack becoming quite clear. He only stopped when he hit the base of the podium, knocking it backward. He sat there for a time, pondering. He was roused form this sate when he heard the grunts of struggle behind him.

He turned his head and looked behind him, only to see Gregory sitting in a praying position, but seemingly struggling to maintain control of the magic seal below him. Japhet was confused at first, but then noticed the silver-haired nun known as Index sitting in the circle as well, chanting.

"I-I am sorry master… b-but this girl… I d-don't know how… is making this difficult!" Gregory stuttered out, struggling to maintain control. Japhet started to ponder once more.

'This girl… I can sense no magic from her yet she can dissuade the Necronomicon's magic this well?' Japhet decided it was time to stand, and pulled himself out of the ground. 'And these four… unique abilities, but I also cannot sense magic… the only hint of it I can detect is form the brown-haired girl…'

Izuku ran over to Touma and helped him to his feet.

"Hey, are you alright?" Izuku asked. He sounded less concerned than he actually was; he was fully aware that the gash from Prometheus still stung and that elbow smash and the stomp probably didn't help the situation.

"I'm fine…" Touma said, standing up. The group gathered again, and turned their attention to Japhet once more.

"...In this new age, even I have something to learn, it would seem." Japhet chuckled. "Very well." Two large flaming wings suddenly burst from Japhet's back, as a pressure filled the room. "I'll use everything I have to defend my desires. You better not insult me by failing to do the same!"

"…We just have one more obstacle before this situation is over." Touma said simply. Izuku stepped forward towards Japhet, staring him down.

"…My goal is to be a hero, you know?" Izuku started. "Nothing more; nothing less. I want to use this power to save people, like how you do; pain, suffering, and struggle seem to be never-ending constants in this world, and I want to do my part and help people through it... But to go out and hurt innocent people like that just for your goal is unacceptable!" Izuku made a fist and aimed it at Japhet.

"So you just wait right there! I'll show you the meaning of my own ideals as a hero! I'll teach you the meaning of Plus Ultra!"


	21. Cataclysm

**One more chapter to go after this one... enjoy!**

* * *

One wing flapped. Made of golden flames, it seemed to unleash a torrent of fire forward. But not even an all-encompassing attack such as this could withstand Imagine Breaker, as Touma's right hand easily dispelled it all the moment it came into contact with it. With the attack ended, the group raced forward as one, charging down Hugo Japhet, who in turn ran forward as well.

Touma lunged forward, throwing his right fist. Japhet easily dodged, and slammed his knee into Touma's stomach, following it up with a kick to Touma's side, knocking him away. Izuku followed close behind with Full Cowl, attacking the moment Touma was out of harm's way, slamming two punches into Japhet's stomach, followed by an uppercut. All three attacks connected, but Japhet responded by slamming his head down onto Izuku's own, stunning him, and then blasted him back with a quick open-palm strike to the stomach.

Katsuki blasted himself upwards, descending down upon Japhet, unleashing a double-explosion attack down on him. Japhet's response was to jump out of the smoke left behind and elbow Katsuki in the back, knocking him straight into the ground. When he landed, he was forced to defend himself with his magic by sending a golden beam of heat into the concrete pillar that was thrown at him. Ochako had thrown it, and then quickly ran after it, trying to use the object as a distraction.

Japhet quickly changed targets and attempted to kick Ochako's side. However, Ochako reacted almost instantly, grabbing the kick and halting it. She activated her quirk on Japhet, causing him to float, leading to some confusion on his part, and during this moment Ochako lifted Japhet over her shoulder and slamming him into the ground. Ochako then went for a stomp aimed for Japhet's back, but he managed to roll out of the way, wrapping his wings around himself to aid. Ochako released her quirk to save her stamina.

"A peculiar ability." Japhet commented. "And it seems that you are the only one here actually trained in combat. Impressive for a woman."

"Don't go looking down on me just because I'm a girl." Ochako replied. Despite the sexist comment, she really didn't seem upset. If anything, she appeared motivated.

"Wouldn't think of it." Japhet replied channeling magic into his palms. Before he could act, Katsuki came at him from behind.

"Eat this, you son of a bitch!" Katsuki aimed his arm at Japhet and pulled the pin out of his grenade-shaped gauntlet. A massive explosion erupted form the gauntlet, specifically aimed at Japhet. His wings merged and formed into a sort of shield, which blocked most of the damage, but not the explosive force, as he was suddenly propelled forward. Ochako dived out of the way, dodging the body being blasted toward her, and Izuku suddenly intercepted Japhet, round-house kicking him in the stomach with enough force to cancel out the forward momentum and launched him back.

'Their teamwork is impressive…!' Japhet though, as he slowed. He wasn't allowed to dwell on this for long; the sharp pain all over his body from before suddenly returned as he was slugged across the face by Touma. The punch itself didn't seem to do much, but contact with Imagine Breaker proved to be just as devastating as before; it even negated his wings as they vanished the moment Touma made contact. Japhet was forced to leap backward to get distance. 'Every time that boy hits me, this body weakens. If I remain in contact with his right arm for too long, I will die…' As he gathered his thoughts, his wings reformed. Even if it was against children, it would seem holding back would be impossible.

In his mind, he could not lose. He had waited far too long for an opportunity such as this. If he failed now, his goals would be impossible.

Even if he had to kill children, he must do so to accomplish his goal of creating a perfect world.

Katsuki propelled himself forward, trying to assault with his explosions yet again, but was blasted out of the air by a fireball from Japhet, which then exploded and launched him across the hall. Izuku dashed forward with a straight kick, but Japhet dodged and slammed his elbow into Izuku's stomach, following with a spin-kick to the face to remove him from immediate proximity. Japhet leapt up into the air, assisted by his flaming wings, and attempted to drop kick Ochako.

She once again dodged immediately, but Japhet followed up with a beam of pure heat, blasting her into a wall with the pressure alone. Touma charged him from behind and destroyed one of his wings with Imagine Breaker, but otherwise Japhet dodged and punched Touma in the stomach, forcing him back.

"…No, you don't get off light, boy." Japhet said simply. "You are the greatest threat to me, after all." Japhet then charged, punching Touma across the face. He then started rapidly punching Touma's entire torso up and down, before socking him across the face once more, then kicking him in the side. Japhet then grabbed Touma's arm and threw him over his shoulder, making sure that Touma landed front-first. He then unleashed a powerful wave of golden flames straight into Touma's backside, resulting in an explosion.

"There… that should do it." Japhet said, turning his back to the group. "They will get back up, I'm sure, but now I must take care of this girl disrupting Gregory." He walked back to the other end of the chapel, in full knowledge that there was still fighting to do. In his eyes however, he had won, and it was now time to secure his victory. He did not know how this girl with no mana would disrupt a spell from the Necronomicon, but he would put a stop to it.

Japhet was right; his foes would get back up and attempt to assault him once more.

But the first one back on their feet was Kamijou Touma, the victim of his most brutal assault.

Japhet turned, somewhat shocked. Touma, despite being pummeled and burned, stood. He panted heavily, but quickly ran forward, going after Japhet once more. Japhet's look shifted from shock to annoyance.

"You do not know when to quit, boy!" Japhet hold out his right hand and fired a massive beam of heat. Touma slammed his right palm into it, holding the blast at bay. Japhet clicked his teeth; there had to be a limit to how much his ability could negate, right!? Japhet slow ramped up the intensity, Touma struggling to stay standing, sliding back little by little.

"I won't stop… until I take you down!" Touma shouted. The other heroes started to get back up, getting ready to reengage once more. Japhet gritted his teeth as his patience wore out. He suddenly doubled the output and Touma's arm suddenly burst out into wounds from the force, spreading blood on the ground. Japhet doubled it once more, and it was enough.

Touma's right arm was outright blasted off at the shoulder, and his body flew backward, screaming in pain. Izuku was the first to notice the event.

"Kamijou! No!" Izuku screamed, fearing for Touma's life. The others turned their head and looked on with similar expressions.

Their looks of fear quickly turned to horror.

A mighty roar filled the room, overshadowing Touma's screams of pain as he landed on his back. The sound was loud enough to even shatter the windows of the chapel. Even Japhet looked on in confusion.

Their combined confusion was justified however.

As the head of a dragon, easily the size of Touma's body itself, had suddenly erupted from Touma's shoulder, its deafening roar blanketing the room with a thick pressure that no one could describe.

They didn't have time to figure out what was happening, however. The Dragon shot out, attached to a seemingly endless neck that was attached to Touma's shoulder, charging through the air, racing toward Japhet. His face turned serious in response to the impending attack.

"No matter, I will obliterate this just as easily!" Japhet shouted, throwing his right hand forward and discharging another massive beam of heat, just as large as the one that tore off Touma's arm.

It didn't even slow the beast down, much less destroy it.

It flew through the blast like it was nothing, and bit down on the entirety of Japhet's arm, tearing it off and swallowing it. Japhet screamed out in pain, clutching what remained of his right arm.

"Master Japhet!" Gregory suddenly broke focus and shouted out. This proved to be a fatal mistake, as the circle below Gregory and Index changed color, and a force launched Gregory out of the circle and into a wall.

Index knew what was going on. She wanted to run to Touma's side, but she knew what she had to do. Only she had read the forbidden grimoires. She was the only one who knew how to stop the Necronomicon. The opportunity presenting itself, Index started to speak oddly in a language that no one aside from Japhet recognized. Then, she suddenly in plain English.

"I seal the gate! Return to the depths, the nightmare has ended!" Index shouted. The circle turned a deep crimson red and Index then jumped back out of the circle. A red beam shot into the air, destroying part of the roof, and into the sky. The beam seemed to part the clouds as the sky turned a deep-seated red. The clouds formed around the beam in a circle in the sky.

The Necronomicon's curse had been lifted.

 **-City Streets, Same Time-**

Their battle had been continuing for so long, that many were starting to tire out. The battle had been long and grueling, but with their combined efforts, the group of heroes and espers had managed to hold out.

Then, a behemoth rose from the ground a fair distance ahead.

It was large and bulbous, it body towering over several buildings. Its lower torso was a mass of seemingly infinite tentacles that it used to reach out and pull itself forward.

"G-guys… we need a plan B!" Kirishima shouted, backing up.

"Pain in my ass…!" Accelerator spat. The beast ahead of them outright knocks lower-level demons out of its way, as it raced toward them. It lifted up an arm and was prepared to smash it down on them.

Then the red beam appeared and shot into the sky, creating a circle of clouds in the sky around it. The beam turned the entire area into a deep red color with its light.

The oddity is that when this event triggered, the demons backed off, even tried to run, but a mysterious force had other plans; several of the demons are being sucked up and forced into the hole in the sky. It appeared to be some kind of rift, and the demons were being forced into it.

All kinds of them were being forced back; even the Chaos Knights weren't immune. The giant behemoth wrapped its tentacles all around the buildings and roared, attempting to anchor itself. It looked down at the group, and its chest started to glow. Its mouth opened and a large surge of energy could be seen.

"Oh crap…!" Kirishima commented. "Doesn't look like this guy wants to leave alone!"

"Damn… we need a plan!" Tenya shouted.

"…Mr. Accelerator." Misaki called out.

"The fuck do you want?" Accelerator replied.

"I think it's time for you to stop holding back. Tournament is probably over after something like this…" Misaki stated. Accelerator clicked his teeth in frustration.

"…Bitch can't even look inside my head and you still figure shit like this out." Accelerator discarded his walking cane and started to walk forward.

"Excuse me… miss Shokuhou, what are you talking about…?" Tenya asked.

"Awakening." Misaki replied. As Accelerator walked, his body started to glow. A halo formed just above his head and a set if white large bird-like wings formed from his back; he looked like an angel. The behemoth fired a giant red beam of energy, but Accelerator held out his hand and the blast stopped just short of reaching the group. More-over, the blast swelled, as if the beam was gaining energy.

Accelerator could have just deflected this blast of energy, of course. But this beast raised a hand to try and harm the person referred to as the strongest. There was only one way to end this.

Accelerator spoke, but in a strange language. Oddly, they could understand him; it was as if what he was saying was being implanted directly into their heads. And what Accelerator said was simple; despite the numerous sounds, he only spoke one word.

DIE.

Accelerator fired the massive blast of energy it right back at the behemoth. It completely vaporized the massive demon's head and a large portion of its upper torso. What was left of the beast fell over, releasing the buildings from its grasp, landing with a loud crash. The ground shook for a time. And shortly after, the behemoth's remains flew up into the sky along with the remaining demons.

The beam of light vanished, and the sky returned to normal. The demonic invasion had ended.

There had been some misconceptions about espers that the heroes have made. Despite the differences, the level 5's are indeed monsters; beast of absolute power that should not be trifled with, but just because of that did not mean they were inherently evil. In a sense, one could see them as heroes themselves with how they use their abilities, whether it be for others or themselves.

But one thing was certain; an undeniable fact.

In the world of espers, the one known simply as Accelerator is the strongest.

And this fact is absolute.

 **-Chapel-**

"…She managed to undo it…" Japhet commented, still holding himself. He cursed; he should have stopped her sooner. He didn't think defeat was even possible for him, so he engaged his attackers and let Gregory deal with the situation.

He didn't think it was possible for him to even be hurt, let alone have his entire right arm ripped out of its socket.

Japhet looked upward; the dragon hovered above him, bearing its fangs. Japhet's only option was to stand his ground; he saw how fast it moved. If he ran, it would kill him. So he chose to face it like a warrior. The dragon roared loudly again and the charged down, as if it were about to devour Japhet whole.

"Get… back…!" Touma managed to say. "Get back in there, you bastard!"

In an instant, the dragon cracked and shattered like glass. Japhet was dumbstruck. He panted heavily, sweat forming as his brow. He turned back to look at Touma.

Touma laid there on his back, breathing heavy just like he was.

Moreover, Touma's right arm was back in full order; as if it had never been severed.

"Impossible…!" Japhet commented. The dragon had also erased one of his wings, but he cared little about that now. Japhet leapt forward, landing just in front of Touma and grabbed him by his collar, holding him up with his one remaining arm.

Izuku gritted his teeth.

"You… what are you…!?" Japhet asked with contempt. Touma only grunted in response. Japhet's face turned to fury as a light formed in his hand, ready to cast a spell.

A sudden kick across the head ended that notion as it launched him back, dropping Touma in the process. Ochako ran and dived to catch Touma. The two were now behind Izuku, whose body was glowing red; being the one who had struck Japhet. Ochako set Touma's body on the floor gently and then stood up.

"You want to know what he is…?" Izuku asked, gritting his teeth. "He is my friend! Our friend! And we are not going to let you put even one more finger on him!" Izuku was erupting with just as much power as he was anger.

'Where… is he getting this power…!?' Japhet questioned in his mind. In an instant Izuku was suddenly in front of him, punching him in the stomach. The attack was fierce enough to force him to cough up blood. He flew through the air, through one of the concrete pillars along the walls. Japhet however rebounded and leapt off of the next and came back with a spell prepared. "If you think you have an advantage just because of my arm, you have another thing coming!"

An explosion on his interrupted his attack; Katsuki had suddenly propelled himself toward him and smash a punch of his own into Japhet's back, triggering an explosion that launched him straight to the ground. Japhet tried to counter attack, but was suddenly struck across the face by Izuku, then promptly kicked in the side, sliding backward. Once again, before he could mount a proper assault, he was struck again, this time by Ochako with one of the large pillars he had just blasted through in hand, knocking him into the air. Japhet flipped and landed safely.

"Why you…!" Japhet attempted to cast a spell, but was stunned when an explosion triggered on his time. Japhet turned to counter, but was met with Katsuki holding out his other gauntlet to him, grinning wide and pulling the pin out; the side attack was just go get his attention. A massive explosion erupted and engulfed Japhet. After a time he flew out of the resulting smoke and slammed into the chapel's back wall. He slid off but landed on his feet, obviously injured.

"I can't… stop now…! Not when my dream is in sight…!" Japhet built up some power and charged forward.

"Your dream… isn't a bad one." Izuku said. "But, that doesn't mean you can choose who lives and dies just to achieve it!" Izuku charged forward himself, dodging Japhet's attack and slamming a fist into Japhet's stomach.

"Where… is your power coming from…!?" Japhet choked out.

"I believe in Kamijou's dream!" Izuku said, just before he started to pummel Japhet's body with attacks. "As much as I would like a perfect world, Kamijou is right! Just living for the sake of living is not the way to exist! Without the challenges in life, there isn't a point! A reason to go on! As much as this world is filled with negativity I wouldn't have it any other way!" Izuku jumped and round-house kicked Japhet across the face, sending him back.

"…This power… this power…!" Is all Japhet could respond with.

"The challenges in life are what give people a reason to persevere! To live! To keep going forward to defeat the next challenge in their life! So see how far they can go while following their dreams! To make their desires come true, just like what you're fighting for!" Izuku clenched his right fist tight, as power seemed to center there.

The end was coming.

"You heard me say it before, so I'll tell you what it means! To keep going forward! If you get knocked down, to get right up again! To survive! Go defeat every obstacle in your path! To go beyond! That is the meaning of **PLUS ULTRA!"** Izuku rushed Japhet and slammed his fist up into Japhet's chest. The force was powerful enough to outright launch Japhet into the air instantly, propelling him through the chapel and through the ceiling, outright blasting it to pieces; the shockwave of the punch pulling large amounts of debris with him.

Japhet's body finally gave out. The constant bombardment of attacks, the hits by Imagine Breaker, the dragon attacking him, and finally Izuku's last attack was too much for his magically sustained body to withstand. His body burst into flames as he traveled into the sky and when he reached the clouds above, his body exploded, unleashing massive flames in all directions, clearing the sky. Just as quickly and brilliantly the explosion had started, it ended.

Something flew down and hit the ground hard enough to bounce several times. It was the Necronomicon, mysteriously undamaged by the explosion. It separated when Japhet self-destructed. Index walked over to it and lifted it up; making sure it was indeed the book, before promptly stashing it away within her robes to make sure no one else got ahold of it.

Izuku's entire body ached, but nowhere near as much as his right arm. It felt limp at his side; there was no mistaking it. This time he really did break his arm; no doubt about it. He panted heavily, exhausted, and then fell backward, only to be caught by Ochako.

"Don't worry… I got you Deku." Ochako said. Izuku blushed red, but smiled wide.

"…What would I do without you Uraraka," Izuku replied. Ochako blushed herself, but smiled back as well. Ochako helped Izuku walk over to Touma to check on him. Index followed quickly; Katsuki was already over near him.

"How is he doing…?" Index asked.

"He's out; probably passed out." Katsuki concluded. "Bastard got his shit pushed. But what the hell was that thing…?" Katsuki put his hand on Touma's right arm.

"…I don't know, honestly." Index answered. "It appears whenever someone removes Touma's arm apparently… Stiyl always referred to it as 'The Dragon King,' but such a beast being locked away in Touma's arm seems highly unlikely…"

"Dragon King…" Izuku stated out-loud. "So it's kind of like he has a scaly guardian angel if someone wants to take the easy way out and just try to remove Imagine Breaker…"

"Seems like it; brings it back to him when the dragon fucks off too." Katsuki said. "I just tried to use my explosion when I grabbed him; didn't even trigger. Bastard still has his negation bullshit…"

"…T-that was fairly risky Kacchan, what if it had worked and you had let it back out!?" Izuku shouted.

"Then I'd blow it to bits!" Katsuki shouted back angrily.

"…I don't think that would work… judging from experience…" Ochako commented. They heard movement behind the group and turned; Gregory Augustine was back on his feet, and looked absolutely furious.

"You… you…! You insolent pieces of garbage! My master… you killed my master!" He shouted.

"H-hey! Calm down! W-we can talk about this!" Izuku tried to plead with him, but he didn't listen.

"I must… avenge his death…! Kill you… I'll kill you!" Gregory screamed and threw out a surge of golden flames.

A hand reached forward past the group. The flames hit the hand, and shattered like glass.

Touma was suddenly on his feet again, despite his injuries.

"N-no… no! Not you again!" Gregory threw another mass of golden fire. It was negated.

Touma took a silent step forward, not uttering a word. Then another. Gregory kept trying to attack Touma and every time, almost as if it was reflex alone, Touma negated it with his right hand. Gregory was quickly shifting from angry to frightened.

"…You know… I didn't want it to go down like that." Touma wearily said, looking up at Gregory. "I was hoping he would eventually see things my way, but I guess it wasn't meant to be… such misfortune." Gregory's fear turned into anger once more.

"You…! All of you!" Gregory made golden flames in his hands. "I'll kill all of you!"

A voice sounded form behind him.

"No; you won't."

Gregory turned around only to meet a high-kick across the face, knocking him to the ground. When he hit, a hand came up and grabbed his head and promptly slammed it back into the ground, knocking him out. The figure then handcuffed Gregory, and then stood up.

It was Aizawa.

The heroes in training were happy to see him at first, but this quickly changed.

"C-crap… we're busted for going after villains again!" Izuku said.

"Yes, you are." Aizawa simply replied. He looked around the room, eventually focusing on the weary Touma, before looking back at the group. He heaved Gregory over his shoulder. "…But there was a lot of chaos all around for the past hour or so, so who knows what happened. Besides; I never saw you guys fight someone named Japhet or anything, I only saw you get attacked by Gregory; for all I know you ran in here for safety and got attacked. Self-defense is fine, right?" The heroes in training immediately realized what Aizawa meant; he was letting them off the hook. Touma laughed a little bit.

"Touma…?" Index slowly walked up to him and tugged on his shirt. "Are you ok…?"

"I'll… be fine… I'm just glad." Touma replied. "I'm just happy that I managed to change someone's opinion, after all." Touma laughed some more, but quickly grew silent as his exhaustion and injuries.

Touma fell forward, landing with the thud, fully satisfied that the incident with the Millennial Phoenix was finally over.


	22. End of a Certain Heroic Adventure

**The Final Chapter, i hope you like it!**

* * *

With the destruction of Japhet, the end of the demonic invasion had been settled. And Gregory's plan to destroy Academy City and revive the order of the Millennial Phoenix was shattered. Though there was plenty of destruction and injuries, fatalities were kept to a minimum by swift action of anti-skill.

Media was spun in an effective but creative direction. Gregory Augustine was arrested and convicted for mass terrorism and the release of a large number of test animals to attack civilians. Academy City got some flak for the test animals, but media was more focused on the actions of Gregory.

His actions earned him a variety of charges, and he was extradited to Europe for various crimes of a slimier nature, though this was actually a fabrication. Gregory was handed over to the Roman Catholics to face a tribunal for breaching the Treaty of Science and Magic, but the media didn't need to know that. It was likely that the world would never hear the name Gregory Augustine ever again.

Mysteriously, Prometheus and Pandora were nowhere to be found. Even after guiding Aizawa to where the group left them, there was no trace of them at all. It was as if they had mysteriously vanished. Izuku had an odd feeling, but quickly discarded it; he didn't have time to worry about those two right now. Something more important needed to be taken care of.

While Index's magical knowledge would be useful for the injuries of the heroes, it would have no effect on Touma. Imagine Breaker was automatic and uncontrollable; regardless of whether the effect was positive or negative, it would negate it. There was only one option for Touma's recovery, unfortunately.

 **-Hospital, Next Day-**

"So I'm trapped in this bed once again… such misfortune." Touma lamented. He laid back, his body covered in bandages under his hospital gown. He didn't have any broken bones or fractures thankfully, but severe burns were clearly evident. "At least the tournament was canceled; I'd hate to have to fight Misaka like this… hah!" Touma sighed happily; though it wasn't how he wanted, he finally got out of that stupid tournament.

There was a knock at his door.

"Come in." Touma called out. The door opened to reveal Izuku, oddly alone. "Hey, what's up? I've never really seen you on your own before."

"Is it that unusual?" Izuku joked, rubbing his neck as he stepped into the room. "We are heading back to our school tomorrow because of the incident, so everyone is off enjoying what they can of the city before they have to go."

"Even Uraraka?" Touma asked.

"She wanted to find a gift for her mom and dad, and never really got a chance to because of everything that was happening." Izuku explained.

"I see…" Touma replied, leaning back in his sitting position. "Too bad I won't be able to see you off; I'm trapped in this bed for about a few more days."

"I see… that's too bad." Izuku said, taking a seat.

"What about you? I figured you'd be off doing the same." Touma replied. "Especially with Uraraka; you could earn some bonus points for helping her out." Izuku blushed red, but shook it off.

"Know from experience or something?" Izuku replied.

"What's with that attitude? I don't know what you're talking about." Touma replied. Izuku desperately wanted to believe that Touma was just joking with him, but he knew better.

The only thing more powerful in Academy City than Accelerator's ability was Touma's obliviousness. He was as dense as a concrete wall when it came to the girls around him.

"I was just joking." Izuku replied with a smile. "I guess I just wanted to be the first one; I'm sure everyone else will come around except for maybe Kacchan, but I wanted to be the first."

"First to do what?" Touma asked.

"To say thank you." Izuku replied. "You've been helping us out for a good portion of our stay in some way, and I just wanted to thank you for it is all."

"You don't need to." Touma replied. "I don't really help people because I feel like I have to or anything. I do it because I want to; simple as that. If I decided I didn't want to I would have walked away. I really kind of do this kind of thing for myself really."

"…But still, you helped us out in a lot of tough spots, so thank you." Izuku persisted. Touma sighed.

"Fine fine, you're welcome." Touma replied. "I don't know why you're so persistent about it."

"Because… well… in a way, I'm trying to become a hero for myself too, I guess." Izuku replied. "I just want to go out and be a hero; to be the guy that saves everyone! But I guess even if the actions are born out of desire to do good for others, they can be a little bit selfish anyway, huh?"

"That's a way to look at it I guess." Touma replied. "But that's life. Everyone is looking out for what they want to do or become. Some people can be good, some can be bad, but in the end we are all hunting after our own happiness, right? I can't fault someone who's just trying to make their dreams come true."

"…I guess Hugo Japhet wasn't such a bad guy after all." Izuku stated.

"Probably not… I'd just say overzealous in his attempts to save everyone. Wanting to protect everyone is fine, but you can't save people from everything. Sometimes life will throw something at you that you just have to deal with. Sure you can have help every now and then, but in the end there are some challenges that you simply have to overcome yourself."

"You're really wise, Kamijou." Izuku said.

"I've just learned from a lot of negative experiences." Touma replied.

"How often do things like this happen around here?" Izuku asked.

"There was a nasty time where it was about every other week, and admittedly right now I'm waiting for a certain organization to make a move, but it's slowed down a lot since I got back into the city. Just had an incident where an experiment took place to outright forcefully create heroes, but that was a few weeks back."

"I see…" Izuku commented. "We've bene having some problems with an organization back home, but their attacks are usually a few months or so apart. And they've mostly been aimed at defeating All Might."

"Oh well, like I said, that's life." Touma shrugged. "There's always bound to be some kind of conflict."

"Kacchan is from my class; trust me I know." Izuku replied. "Our class actually has twenty students, only eight of us actually wanted to come out here for the tournament. I wonder how they are all doing."

"If they are just as over the top as your group is, I'm sure they are fine." Touma replied. "Man I'm already restless. I spend too much time in the hospital…"

"I know that feeling." Izuku admitted. "When I first started, my power ran so wild I broke my arms and legs really easily. I had to spend a lot of time in the infirmary myself."

"…Guess we're both cursed to reside in hospital beds." Touma stated.

"Guess so." Izuku replied.

After a short time, they both sighed in disappointment. Another knock came at the door as it slowly opened, and Ochako poked her head into the room.

"I did make it to the right room, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I thought you were shopping?" Izuku asked.

'I managed to find some things I think my parents will like." Ochako answered. "But I also managed to find two other people looking for a gift for a certain someone!" She then stepped into the room pulling two girls with her. The two girls blushed wildly and pulled against Ochako's grip in protest, revealing themselves as both Mikoto and Index.

"Y-you don't need to pull on me! I-I can walk inside myself!" Mikoto shouted.

"I just don't want to visit him while she's here!" Index shot a glare at Mikoto. "This classless girl will just corrupt Touma's sensibilities; it is up to me to fix the damage she causes."

"Is that so huh…!?" Mikoto sparked wildly, glaring back. "Then I suppose you trying to drill religious nonsense into his mind is better? At least I can keep him grounded in the real world!"

The two continued to glare and argue with each other. Izuku, Ochako, and Touma watched, but only the first two fully recognized why.

A love triangle is a dangerous thing. But then they thought about Misaki and her involvement, and the numerous times it was mentioned that Touma was seen constantly around other girls.

In the end, both Izuku and Ochako decided that Touma just attracts dangerous women like a magnet. When things would come to a head if Touma would eventually become interested in a girl, a war of cataclysmic proportions would take place. They both dreaded the day when this would come to pass.

"Girls, please." Izuku called out. He received violent glares form the two, causing him to freak out with fear. After a short time however, he managed to shake it off. "You both are here to visit Kamijou, right? Doesn't fighting in front of him kind of defeat the purpose of trying to cheer him up about being in the hospital?" The two girls exchanged looks.

"You… have a point I guess…" Mikoto replied.

"I… suppose we should get along while we're here…" Index admitted.

"Thanks you guys…" Touma let out a relieved sigh. He then noticed that Mikoto was carrying a sack, but didn't pay much attention to it at first.

"Guess occupancy limits in rooms don't really exist here in Academy City…" Izuku commented.

"It's not that… it's more along the lines of having a bit of reputation around here since I show up so often…" Touma replied, scratching his head.

"You really should be more careful you idiot!" Mikoto shouted.

"Yeah! T-think about those who care about you and what they'd do if you got seriously hurt or worse!" Index added. Touma laughed nervously.

"R-right… of course… sorry for worrying you both!" Touma replied. Mikoto and Index weren't convinced, but they decided to drop it.

"Seriously…" Mikoto sighed. "At least you're ok."

"Misaka, now might be a good time to give him your gift…" Ochako whispered into Mikoto's ear, causing her to blush.

"R-right…" Mikoto stuttered out as she reached into her bag. "H-hey… um… I k-know you prefer them h-homemade but… w-well! I tried!" she quickly took out a small container of cookies that looked rather high class. She practically shoved them out in front of her, but Touma didn't seem to mind as he took them.

"You tried? What do you mean?" Touma asked, looking at the container.

"W-well! I-I don't have an oven so I had to borrow a friend's! A-and I was on my way over but… w-well I slipped and fell… and the cookies I made flew into the street and got run over…" Mikoto replied in a sad tone. "S-so! T-they aren't homemade, b-but I hope you like them anyway!"

"It's the thought that counts, isn't it?" Touma smiled. "Sorry that you had to go through all that work just for me, it must have been a hassle."

"N-no! I'I didn't mind! It was for you so I was more than happy too!" Mikoto abruptly shouted, covering her mouth in embarrassment after doing so. Touma didn't seem to mind the response and opened up the container and took a cookie out, having a bite for himself.

"Hey, these aren't bad!" Touma cheerfully said, causing Mikoto to smile herself. Index was starting to grow jealous of Mikoto getting so much of Touma's attention.

"Touma!" Index ran to his bedside. "I managed to clean up the apartment like I said I would! And I even did the grocery shopping with my own money so you don't have to worry about it this week!"

"You did?" Touma asked, to which Index nodded. "That's great! I really appreciate it, Index!" Touma smiled at her, but still seemed rather continent with Mikoto's cookies; Index's mind went for desperation, and she suddenly leaped up onto the bed and hugged Touma's right arm, confusing him. "I-Index!?"

"I-I was just so worried when I saw you pass out in the chapel!" Index said. "S-so to help you recover, I-I'll hug you like this, ok!? I m-may not be some kind of super curvy girl, but a hug from a girl is supposed to help a boy relax, right!?"

"H-hey! That's cheating!" Mikoto said. Touma was starting to blush himself, partially out of embarrassment and partially because a girl was holding onto him so affectionately.

"I-I live with him, I can hug him like this whenever I want." Index shot back.

"Oh so that's how you want to play huh…!?" Mikoto replied. She then walked up, leaning over and hugging Touma's left arm into her somewhat more developed chest, without fully realizing what she was doing.

Normally, a boy of Touma's age would be thrilled to have two girls hugging him. However, Touma was not most boys. He was more confused than anything, wondering what was going on.

"H-hey! Be careful what you're grabbing onto! Don't I get a say in this!?" Touma shouted.

"No!" Both girls replied at the same time.

"As much as I would like to let Kamijou enjoy the wonders of female companionship, could you please not injure my patient any more than he already has been?" An older male voice called from the door way. He was a bald-headed and short man in a doctor's outfit, but the most notable feature is that his face highly resembled a frog's. Index and Mikoto fully realized what they were doing and both backed off, blushing profusely.

"S-Sorry…" Mikoto muttered.

"I lost control… I apologize." Index bowed her head. The frog-faced doctor laughed a bit.

"It's fine. Just making sure you're not injuring my patient." He walked into the room.

"…Deku, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ochako whispered.

"…Can't hurt to ask right?" Izuku whispered back. "Excuse me, sir?"

"Yes?" The frog faced doctor looked up toward Izuku.

"You wouldn't happen to know a girl named Asui Tsuyu, would you?" Izuku asked. Tsuyu was a girl from Izuku's class. She had long black hair with a green tint to it, with a frog-face somewhat smiler to the doctors, and had various frog-like abilities for a quirk.

"How do you know my granddaughter?" The doctor asked.

"She's in our class back at the U.A!" Ochako cheerfully replied. The doctor smiled.

"So you're from the hero academy she's always writing me about. Good to know she has come to have such good friends!" The doctor happily stated. "Now, I'm sorry but I need to be alone with Kamijou. I need to check his burns and change his bandages."

With that, the group left the hospital. They would return later, but there was much to be done.

The wonders of Academy City were a once in a lifetime opportunity, after all.

 **-Next Day, Airport-**

"K-Kamijou!?" Izuku stuttered out. "I thought you weren't going to make it out here…"

"I'm actually not supposed to be… but I have a really good doctor." Touma replied. Around him several people stood around. Index, Tsuchimikado, Aogami, Mikoto; just about everyone they had met during their time in Academy City was there to wish them well. Well, save for Accelerator and Stiyl, but those two weren't expected to appear anyway.

"Hey… Shokuhou?" Ochako called out. "I just wanted to say… thanks for your help with… well, my personal dilemma…"

"Think nothing of it!" Misaki moved from the crowd and gave Ochako a rather affectionate hug. "Us maidens in love have to look out for each other, you know? We have to make sure each one of us uses our love power properly!" Ochako blushed red in embarrassment, but returned the hug anyway.

"I guess we do, don't we?" Ochako admitted with a smile.

"You just make sure to keep your significant other in check! With a goal like his, he's bound to have more than a few more female interactions!" Misaki said.

"I'm not worried." Ochako replied. "I'll make sure to do my best so he doesn't have to even worry about another girl!"

"That's your love-power at work, use it well!" Misaki said. Other goodbyes between former opponents took place. Aogami tried hard to meet up with Momo again, but Tsuchimikado and Touma had to restrain him. Kirishima and Sogiita fist bumped each other, saying their mutual desire to fight again when the time was right. Shouto and Momo both paid their respects to Mikoto and her ability, embarrassing her as she attempted to calm them down.

Katsuki walked past Touma, pausing a moment before turning around towards the teen. After an odd look, Touma held out his hand for a handshake. Katsuki grinned wide and shook his hand.

"Next time we meet, I'm going to blow you to bits." Katsuki threatened.

"I wish I could say I was looking forward to it…" Touma replied in a dismal tone. Katsuki's grin formed into a smile as he let go; seemingly accepting the response.

Somehow, Touma had managed to earn Katsuki's respect. Whether that was a good or bad thing had yet to be determined.

"You sure you're going to be ok walking around like this?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah. This happens a lot, so I'm used to it." Touma replied. Izuku smiled.

"Hey, let's exchange numbers! So we can keep in contact!" Izuku asked.

"I don't mind, but I can't guarantee how long this phone will last." Touma replied.

"I'm sure it will be fine, you're a really responsible person, you know?" Izuku stated.

"I think you severally underestimate the misfortune of this male known as Kamijou." Touma replied. Izuku laughed at the joke, and Touma smiled himself. There was more everyone wanted to say to each other, but time was not on their side.

With their jet ready to board for takeoff, the heroes in training accompanied by All Might and Aizawa boarded and left.

The espers of Academy City would remember the heroes who visited their city. Their abilities were impressive, but their most important feature was their camaraderie and teamwork; even if they hated each other they would work together as well as they could to achieve victory.

And they would especially remember a certain hero who bore a powerful ability simply known as One For All, because he proved that not even the strongest were undefeatable.

And in turn, the heroes would remember the technological marvel that was Academy City, and the Espers that lived there. The advancements were amazing, and it was unbelievable that people could develop abilities with such devastating capabilities with just their minds.

And they would especially remember a certain level zero, who proved that it didn't matter how strong or weak you were rated; that what mattered more is how you used your power rather than what it could do when it came to being a hero, even if that person never saw themselves as one in the first place.

Even if these two sides never crossed again, they would always remember their experiences with one another.

And with that, the heroic adventures in Academy City had come to a close.

* * *

 **Hello there! Thanks for sticking it through this one! This is my second story I've written that I've actually finished.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this little story I had an idea for on a whim, and I hope you are willing to stick around for my next project, whenever it appears next.**

 **Have a good one! See you all next time!**


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